The Lieutenant Saga Part One:  Time Force
by BoukenSpirit
Summary: First in a six part story following the lives of Time Force's most important squad of forgotten rangers.  We start at the beginning with Time Force, and take a look at the real story.  Relationships are surprises, but no slash I promise.
1. Chapter 1

**Lieutenant Saga Part One: Time Force**

Welcome to the first installment of my six part series following the lives of six Time Force employees. I'm giving you a fair warning, these stories are fairly mature, and I'm rating it M through the ratings at .com. It's rated as such for adult situations, sex (not explicit), birth, death, ect. You can also read, and comment at HERE. Comments are welcome, but keep questions and discussion to my author thread, and do NOT ask me to update this, I will update it on a regular schedule, so don't ask, it'll only make me hate you. Now, thank you for reading Meghan Corbett, please make sure you are in a comfortable position, have a drink and enjoy the ride.

**xXxXx**

It was every other day. Wake up, fight until completely exhausted, sleep, repeat. It had to be a weird life when that kind of rhythm was normal. Sighing he watched the alarm clock change from one time to the next, heaving himself out of bed and to the shower. He reported to work, fought a monster with five people who hated his guts and went home to sleep. Normal. Sure, it was entirely his fault that no one liked him. He preferred working alone; doing things himself always yielded the best result. They got in the way more than they helped. At least that's what he told himself.

By the time he was out of the shower and standing in his small kitchen he realized there was literally no food in his house. Muttering darkly, he examined the half gallon of milk, one egg, and a mysterious Tupperware he'd forgotten about way in the back. That was not a meal. It took him minutes to figure out his plan of action, and only a few more to put it in motion. In a half hour he was walking into his favorite Sports bar, pleased to see it was nearly vacant.

"Hello Eric." The bartender greeted him with a grin and placed an opened beer on the bar as he sat down.

"Hey Brennan." Eric glanced up at the hockey game playing on the widescreen TV mounted on the wall. The Pittsburgh Penguins were down by one to the Philadelphia Flyers, a pity in Eric's eyes. He watched the skaters round the ice; the Penguins had a power play and were fast approaching the goal. The young player took a shot, and it went wide left of the net as the power play expired. Though Eric was annoyed the guy'd missed, another patron of the bar was much more vocal about their annoyance.

"Oh come on, keep shooting like that and you'll find yourself back in Wilkes-Barre." The voice was angry, and clearly female. Eric turned and saw her at the end, taking a sip from her beer as she watched the game. She caught him looking at her and grinned. "Sorry, I can't stand to see the 'Burgh fall to Philly."

"It's certainly a crime." Eric agreed with a nod and a half grin. "I'd prefer watching the Bruins fall to the Canadiens."

"Oh you are not a Hab fan." The girl narrowed her eyes at him and slid over to sit next to him. "They're the worst."

"Nah, just like seeing Boston knocked down a peg." Eric took a sip of beer.

"I'd rather see Philly knocked to the ground and taking the Capitals with them." The girl muttered darkly, eyes sliding back up to the television. As she watched the game Eric got a good look at her. She was pretty; slim, with black hair that fell straight down her back and bangs that swept her forehead, a pair of stunning green eyes that followed the movements of the skaters carefully, calculatingly.

"Who's your team?" Eric asked finally, getting a shrug.

"Depends on the mood or the game, but primarily those idiots." She gestured to Pittsburgh missing another shot on the television. "But I've been to a Bruins game or two." She shrugged. "Living in Boston you have to learn hockey."

"I'm loyal to our Anaheim Ducks." Eric sipped his beer thoughtfully as Philly nearly got the puck past the Penguin goalie. "What brings you to California?" And to this tiny Sports bar off the beaten track of Silver Hills he added mentally. The curiosity about this girl was new; usually he got annoyed if anyone spoke to him while he was getting a little dinner and a beer.

"Grew up here, I'm in Boston for college." She brushed her bangs absently as she watched the game again. "I like the snow, but I miss California." She drained her beer and looked at the bottle before setting it down.

"Want another?" Brennan asked her with a flirtatious grin. It was surprising to have to suppress the violent urge to throw the beer bottle in the kid's face.

"Please, and one of those burgers." She pointed to where a couple businessmen were having late night burgers and beer while discussing something jovially.

"You got it sweetheart." Brennan flashed a grin before looking to Eric.

"You?"

"Same please dozen mild wings instead of fries though." Eric gave his usual and Brennan went to the back to get the order to the chef, who happened to be the owner of the bar, Killian O'Reilly, who was also Brennan's father.

"Poor kid thinks he has a chance." The girl snickered and looked back to the game.

"He's 20." Eric quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm almost 22." She raised an eyebrow. "Was that your way of carding me? Because he did that earlier, read all my stats too. Creeper." She rolled her eyes and got back to the game in time to see the Penguins tuck one tightly in the corner of the Philadelphia net. "Nice!" She exclaimed, picking up the beer Brennan delivered and offered it to Eric as a toast. They drank to the goal and watched the replays as the game went into overtime.

"I wasn't carding you." Eric frowned curiously watching her.

"Good." She sipped the beer. "You got a name?"

"Eric."

"I'm Rachael." She nodded with a smile. "Nice to meet you." Her eyes went back up to the game and Eric's met those of the man standing at the other end of the bar, arms folded over his chest, glaring at him. Now this was amusing.

"Think they'll take it?" He asked, taking his eyes from Brennan and looking at the continuing game.

"They'd better." Rachael set down her beer and leaned back. "If they don't win this one, they'll have a tough chance of getting into the playoffs."

Her actual knowledge of hockey had him floored. The last girl he'd tried to introduce to the world of sports had looked at him as though he was the most evil person on the planet, and refused to even touch a beer. Needless to say they didn't last long, though she was probably the one that lasted the longest in the past four years. This girl pointed out specific players with ease, detailing their strengths and a random fact about a few. By the time their burgers arrived they were deep in a philosophical debate about the best hockey players of their time, Rachael staunchly supporting Mario Lemieux while he defended Wayne Gretzky, two players that deserved their places in hockey hall of fame. She stole a wing from his plate and practically moaned in approval.

"I haven't had good wings in ages." She snatched another one, receiving a frown for her trouble. She ignored him and ate it, even licking her fingers in ecstasy.

"Get your own."

"Why, yours are right there." Her saucy grin was irresistible, but she didn't take any more wings, taking time to focus on her burger and fries. The game was in its second extra period by the time their food dishes were stacked neatly to be taken away, but Brennan seemed to have lost interest in pursuing Rachael in favor of a suspicious looking blonde in skimpy clothing. Eric made a mental note to look into her track record later at work, a small side job the Silver Guardians helped the Silver Hills PD with as they saw fit. It was late by the time the game ended with a magnificent power play goal by the same young Penguin that had missed earlier.

"Guess you can sleep tonight now." Eric grinned at her as she laughed and nodded.

"Like a baby." She agreed and pulled out her wallet.

"No, I'll pay. It's nice to have some company." He pulled out his own and threw a few bills on the bar. Rachael looked at it for a second before looking up with a genuine smile.

"Well thanks then." She moved off the stool and looked straight into his eyes. "I could go for a cup of coffee, what do you say?"

"Sure." He moved after her, following her outside into the night. It was a chilly night for California, causing Rachael to pull on a sweatshirt as she walked with him. She didn't say a word about their destination or why they were walking someplace in the pitch blackness of late fall. Their conversation was light, moving to football and where their loyalties lay to baseball and the same story.

"I'm sorry, but I have to side with the Red Sox." Rachael laughed as he groaned.

"God, could you get any more East Coast? LA Dodgers." He shook his head and turned into his yard, cutting across the grass to unlock the front door. She followed him inside, still defending her team, currently in its 83rd year of being cursed. He took off his jacket and laid it over a chair before turning back to her where she stood in his cramped kitchen. "Decaf or regular?" He asked, praying he had both. He knew he had regular, but decaf was an entirely different story.

"I don't want coffee." She said quietly, eyes darkening rapidly. It took a second for the words to sink in. Coffee didn't mean coffee, it mean the other kind of 'coffee'. He stepped closer to her, heart beating rapidly as she stripped off her sweatshirt. His arms slid around her waist, bringing her face to his with a finality he couldn't explain.

It was like she'd lit a fire in his stomach, and the only way to put it out was to get more of her. His hand made it to the back of her head and he pressed her closer to him, the other keeping a firm grip on her waist. Her hands found his neck and she moved forward, pushing him toward the other rooms in his house, and the bedroom. Stumbling through the darkness, they made it to his room, not bothering with any inside lights, the faint glow from the street lights outside enough with the window shade open.

He backed up and pulled his t-shirt off, but she pushed him back so that he fell on the bed, sitting on the edge looking up at her. Eyes locked on his, she removed her shirt over her head and threw it to the floor. Her pants were off in a second, leaving her in her very sexy underwear. At least it was sexy to him as she stepped forward and into his arms. He threw her down on the bed, silencing her laughter with his lips.

For the first time in three months the alarm went off, startling him awake. Disoriented, he shut it off and looked around for a few seconds. He turned to climb out of bed when he caught sight of the naked woman lying face down next to him. Her back was completely bare, the sheet pushed down to her waist, her hair was fanned over and around her head in sleep, arms tucked under her head. Taking advantage of the moment, he took a long look at the soft skin from her shoulders to the top of her hips, and around her sides, catching a glimpse of what lay underneath. He slid from under the sheets and pulled on his jeans to make the short trek from his bedroom to the kitchen, systematically putting together coffee, belatedly remembering to add more water for the extra person.

Damn. It had been a long time since he'd had a one night stand. Or slept with someone he didn't really know, or even brought a girl to his house. The whole idea of a girl sleeping in his bed was ludicrous, but she was there, and naked. A grin passed on his face as he thought about exactly how little sleep he'd gotten compared with how rested and calm he felt.

"Good morning to you too." Rachael came through the door, smoothing down her sleep mussed hair with her hand, the other arm pulling down the long t-shirt she'd thrown on, his.

"Hey, want some coffee?" He offered, pointing at the brewing pot.

"This time I do want some coffee." She grinned like a child getting caught doing something they knew they shouldn't. Eric wasn't sure how to respond to her obvious flirting and dug through a cabinet to find a coffee cup, producing one and turning to set it near the coffee maker. But she was standing between him and it, a look of amusement in her eyes. "You know what your problem is?" She asked in a sultry tone, stepping closer and closer, moving her hands to his chest. "You need to loosen up." Her hands caught his face and neck, pulling them down to meet hers.

He wasn't sure if the coffee cup made it to the counter before he released his hand, but the clatter wasn't a crash, and even if it had been he was too busy enveloping himself in Rachael to care. Taking heed of her words, he slid his hands under her buttocks and heaved her up to the counter so her head was slightly above his. Laughing she pressed her lips to his again, running her hands through his hair and holding on tightly, stopping to breathe, forehead against his. "How much time until you have to go?" She asked softly.

"Enough." He picked her up and carried her to his bedroom again, throwing her down on the bed and climbing on top of her. After round three or maybe it was four, Eric wasn't entirely sure, he dressed for work, resigned to go, knowing it'd be more suspicious if he called in sick to spend the day in bed. God he wanted to. That was a petrifying thought, but normal he supposed. The physical relationship he had with Rachael was just that, physical, and one he hadn't had in a very long time, it was probably just normal he didn't want to end it.

"What are you doing tonight?" Rachael stood in the doorway, using her fingers to untangle her hair, eyes focused on that task, not looking at him. Eric stared through the mirror he was brushing his teeth with to see behind him. She was asking? What?

"Nothing." His mouth spoke before his brain could tell it to shut up. And his hand was now handing her a comb.

"Oh thanks." She ran the comb through her hair, taming the mass of raven colored hair that was now fanned around her face. "If you'll let me I'd like to pay you back for dinner." She looked up.

"You don't have to." He was suspicious now, she had an ulterior motive.

"I can cook." She offered with a grin. "I don't usually sleep with guys if they pay for my dinner. It's my way of not feeling like a complete slut."

"You're not a slut." Eric was confused now, and the only words his brain could come up with weren't as effective out loud as he thought they were.

"Thanks, but you've known me for less than twelve hours, you couldn't know that." Rachael moved behind him, making him rinse out his mouth and turn to face her. "If you never want to see me again I'll go, but I'd like to make you dinner tonight. Or at least let me buy you groceries, I peeked in your fridge for the milk."

"Ok." He frowned, but she smiled and stood on her toes to kiss him before leaving the room. After finishing dressing and telling himself he wasn't an idiot for accepting a second date, if you could call it that, with a girl he barely knew. "Do you need a ride?"

"Just back to the bar if you don't mind." Rachael was pulling on her hooded sweatshirt again, pulling out a set of keys from her jean pockets and transferring them to another. They rode the few minutes to the bar in silence, but the second they got into the parking lot Eric put his SUV in park and got out to examine her car.

"A '69 mustang?" He asked her in surprise.

"Mint condition." Rachael nodded. "Didn't look like that when I got her." She touched the hood affectionately. "In case you hadn't noticed my hobbies are slightly less girly than most." She laughed. "I got a manual and rebuilt the engine from scrap and what I could find in those you pull it yards."

"Impressive." Eric commented. "For a girl." He added, eyes challenging her to respond. Rachael raised her eyebrows and unlocked the driver's side, getting in and leaning over, talking loudly through the closed passenger's window. "See you around 8." She revved the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, turning left and was out of sight in seconds. It was at that moment Eric realized his biggest mistake of the last few hours. He didn't know her last name.

Across town another man sat on the steps of a large white mansion, waiting patiently. Several things had cued him to the fact the person he'd meant to meet and take out to breakfast wasn't yet there. He leaned on his knees waiting patiently, not worried in the least for her. She could always take care of herself. And his faith in her was proved well placed as her classic car pulled into the driveway and swung right in front of him. He moved to his feet.

"Do I want to know where you were last night?" He frowned as she got out of the car and closed the door, grinning at him.

"Probably not." She walked into his arms and hugged him tightly. "You've always been protective, Mr. Mom." She patted his back and pulled away, and popped her trunk, pulling out a large duffle bag.

"Could you travel any less like a girl?" He frowned at her.

"I could ride an old Harley with saddlebags." She offered with a shrug, letting him take the bag from her as they went into the house. Still early morning, there was no one around to greet them.

"I'm sure the world appreciates you having enough room for the usual hygienic supplies."

"It's the least I can do."

"I suggest you sterilize after last night." He frowned at her as she laughed. "What have I told you about sleeping with random guys?"

"A lot." She put his face between her hands. "Thank you so much for caring enough to yell at me." Patting his cheek, she turned for the stairs and started up them. "I've told you as many times that I'm always careful, and use protection." She waved her hand behind her absently.

"I can still worry."

"God now you sound exactly like Mom." She turned and narrowed her eyes at him.

"No, being Mom would be, 'Rachael Vivien Collins I am your mother and am allowed to worry about you as much as I want'." Wes grinned as he imitated their mother to his sister. He threw her bag on her bed and picked up the picture frame that stood on the bedstand. It was a family picture, their parents standing together, a picture perfect couple that wasn't always so perfect in real life, their two children seated in front of them, perfectly groomed for the occasion. Thinking, Wes estimated he was about twelve in the picture, making Rachael eleven, neither child looking thrilled at the prospect of standing for the photo, but now it was one of the few pictures they had of their mother in the last few months of her life.

"I miss her too." Rachael murmured as she pressed her cheek against his shoulder. "And no, sex is not my way of coping with her death." She smacked Wes as he grinned. It was eerie how she knew what he was thinking sometimes. "Now, you're going to leave me alone while I shower and then you're taking me to breakfast."

"Yes ma'am." He mock saluted her and went down the stairs, scoping through the house to see if their father was anywhere to be seen. Mrs. Bailey, the housekeeper informed him that Alan Collins had left two hours prior for work, and wouldn't be home until late. The middle aged woman smiled as she watched Wes climb the stairs, she'd been a housekeeper/nanny for the two kids after their mother died unexpectedly when they were young. She loved seeing the adults they'd become, even if they occasionally made questionable decisions.

"Done yet?" Wes banged on the bathroom door.

"Almost." Rachael came from the room down the hall, dressed in clean clothes, drying her hair with a thick towel, grinning at her brother. They were downstairs in a few minutes, and, after a short battle over who was driving, Wes took the wheel and drove directly to a small diner on the outskirts of Silver Hills that their mother had taken them to when they were growing up.

"You look just like her you know." Wes commented as they pulled into the parking lot. Rachael was quiet and buttoned one of the buttons on her teal plaid shirt absently. They got a booth and slid onto the opposite sides, making sure the waitress got them coffee in a timely manner.

"I wonder what would be different if she was still alive." Rachael murmured softly, rubbing her finger along the edge of the cup.

"You wouldn't have gone to Boston." Wes grinned and sipped his own cup. "Dad wouldn't be so bitter; I'd probably have a successful job."

"Well let's not get carried away." Rachael grinned and brushed her bangs across her face. Wes rolled his eyes and tried to ignore her, but she continued. "Seriously, you majored in business, but you hate business and are now refusing to live at home now let alone take over BioLabs." She shook her head.

"When are you graduating?" Wes tried to change the subject, getting an embarrassed wince from his sister.

"I did. In August."

"What? That was eight months ago." Wes frowned at her as she shrugged.

"I didn't want to come back yet. Hell Wes, I stayed summers to get ahead in all my courses, took full class loads for three straight years to graduate early." Rachael muttered. "I've been substitute teaching in Boston."

"Hate me that much?" Wes frowned.

"No." Rachael sighed. "It's hard to explain, getting out from under Dad's thumb is heaven. I'm sure you've gotten a taste of that." She looked at him meaningfully.

"How'd you figure that out?" He signed in resignation, pausing their conversation long enough for them both to order their breakfasts.

"Your room is clean." Rachael lifted a single eyebrow, getting a hearty chuckle from Wes. "Where are you living? And with who, you can't be paying on your own."

"My four friends and I are living in the old Clocktower." He shrugged and looked to the bar. "You didn't have to come out you know."

"I know." Rachael muttered, glancing out the window at the dark storm clouds. It was barely eight in the morning, and threatening to rain. "But he's the only parent I have left; it seemed cruel to just ignore his near-death." Her shoulders shrugged. "But now he's back to normal."

"Not quite normal, Rach." Wes admitted. "He's been softening up. Weird events going on and all."

"What's with the Silver Guardians? Aren't the rangers good enough for him?" The question seemed odd to Wes, but it was a natural question to be completely fair.

"Pretty much, he basically created them to make a quick buck." Wes scowled, his mind going to the moody current leader of the Guardians, but banishing him for now. "I think that's changing a little."

"Progress." Rachael snorted into her coffee.

"It's a step." Wes frowned. "Have you seen Grand-mére lately?"

"Couple days ago." Rachael shrugged at the change of topic. "She sounds good, misses you. Always were her favorite."

"What can I say?" Wes grinned widely, chuckling. Rachael rolled her eyes.

"I learn French for those people and they still love you. Cher Dieu." She exclaimed with false frustration. The waitress set their foot before them and the conversation turned into the kind of conversations adult siblings had; reminiscing about their childhoods, telling light hearted stories, and arguing. Mostly arguing.


	2. Chapter 2

After finishing their food and conversation Rachael dropped him off at the Clocktower before driving herself back to the mansion to catch up on her sleep. It disturbed Wes to know his little sister needed sleep because she'd been doing other things the night before. Sure he accepted she was an adult and was capable of making her own decisions, but the fact remained she was his sister and he didn't want to think about it. Climbing the stairs to where he lived with his friends he ran over every idiot and scumbag he knew in the whole city, praying his sister hadn't been with any of them.

"You look distracted." Jen commented as he entered.

"Yeah, I kinda am." Wes admitted.

"Stop it, we can't afford to be distracted right now, Ransik could attack at any moment." She scolded him, turning back to where Trip was working on their holographic computer. Wes watched from the backside for a moment, not seeing anything but text, he dismissed it for anything else.

"Where were you this morning?" Katie asked curiously from where she sat on the couch with a book.

"Breakfast." Wes shrugged, getting suspicious looks from Katie, Jen and Lucas. "What?"

"We've been training and researching all morning and you were having breakfast?" Jen's voice sounded deadly. A loud siren from the computer distracted them from Wes, all attention directed to Trip who looked astounded.

"I don't know what happened." He said quickly.

"Nothing." Circuit said from beside him. "You've been hacked!" The electronic owl flapped its wings in distress.

"Thanks Circuit." An oddly familiar female voice sounded amused. The rangers were frozen in fear, wondering what Ransik had done. At least until Circuit giggled and waved his wings happily.

"Oh it's just you." He said happily as a young woman with blonde hair appeared on the monitor.

"Just me." She smiled and Trip relaxed as well, both Jen and Lucas tensed, and Katie and Wes were just confused. "You must be Wes." She smiled kindly as he nodded. "I'm Lieutenant Bronwyn Scotts." She introduced herself laughing at how he immediately looked at Jen. "Yes, she's my sister."

"I didn't know you had a sister." Katie was indignant and leaned over Trip's shoulder. "She's blonde. Pretty." She commented with a grin to their frowning leader.

"What do you want Bronwyn?" Jen scowled at her sister, joining Katie behind Trip.

"Gee, somebody needs to take a chill pill." Bronwyn frowned back. "You might as well come out; I can see you standing there." Wes watched Lucas scowl and move with the others, and he followed Lucas. "Better." Bronwyn shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Couple things, we've got this new policy about over time communication I wanted to share."

"Is it good?" Trip inquired curiously.

"Basically it makes it so I can bypass Alex and speak with you whenever you need information." Bronwyn scowled at her sister. "And second, we've restarted the Lieutenant program."

"No." A look of genuine fear settled on Jen's face. "Why?"

"Well," Bronwyn took a deep breath and began at the beginning for Wes' sake. "We started the first Lieutenant program about five years ago in our time, in yours, about thirty. There was only one Lieutenant, it was a test, no one thought she'd be needed. The ultimate goal was to plant several Lieutenants throughout time in strategic places so that in case of time travelers, like Ransik, we'd have a Time Force operative available to intercept or at least assist visiting officers from Millennium City. Basically what you've been doing for them, Wes." She frowned. "The main reason we were able to convince them to start it again was the events that have transpired over the last year."

"But why was it stopped before?" Wes frowned. Bronwyn shook her head, a look of intense sadness crossing her face.

"Someone, we still have little evidence of who, but someone, murdered our Lieutenant." She sighed. "Poisoned, we didn't know what happened. And with the choice we'd made, there were serious consequences, ones we weren't sure how to explain to her family. I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

Bronwyn took a deep breath. "The Lieutenant left behind two children, her name was Irene Renard…"

"Collins." Wes finished the pit of his stomach dropping to the floor. He backed away from the table and leaned against the wall. "My mother." Bronwyn silently put up a picture of his mother in her youth, a smiling girl that looked careless, and just like the woman he'd seen this morning. His friends looked at him in a disgusting mixture of pity and sadness. Suddenly it was impossible to breathe; the air in the Clocktower tightened and suffocated him. "I have to… I'll be back." He strode for the stairs and disappeared down them without looking back.

"Jen, follow him." Bronwyn instructed the second he was out the door. "He's not in a good place right now, trust me." Jen nodded and followed at half Wes' pace, hoping to catch his, but not make things worse.

"Did you say she had two children?" Trip sounded scared. "Wes never mentioned a sibling."

"They haven't been close in the last three years." Bronwyn shrugged. "He has a sister, her name is Rachael. She's younger by exactly a year; they were very close until their mother died. To them, it was a shock, she was fine, then suddenly ill, was in the hospital for a week before she died." Bronwyn's voice was flat, as if she was trying to not feel something for the Collins family. "That was when their father began working all the time, leaving Wes and Rachael with the Housekeeper most of the time until they were old enough to be on their own. They had their own ways of dealing with it." Bronwyn shook her head. "That's something you should ask Wes about though. Wes went to college around here, and as soon as she graduated Rachael moved to Boston to go to college, they haven't been close since."

"That's awful." Katie frowned. "I can't imagine not being close with my family." Awkward silence settled in the room for a second as Bronwyn shifted in her seat. "Oh sorry, I didn't know."

"It's ok, long story." Bronwyn shook her head. "I'd rather not get into it like this. Just keep an eye on Wes, we don't know when we'll get this next Lieutenant down to you, but I'll try to let you know."

"Thanks." Trip agreed, watching Lucas leave without a word.

"That was rude." Katie muttered.

"I'm surprised he stayed that long." Bronwyn looked sad. "Seeing as he hates me. Another long story, but this one's mine to tell." She sighed and shook her head. "We were dating before you guys went back to 2001, short version, I ended it and he thinks it's because of my ex."

"Was it?" Katie asked quietly.

"No." Bronwyn sighed. "Call me whenever." From businesslike to careless, she shut off the communication link, ending one of the most informative conversations they'd had.

Wes had gotten down into the ground level of the clocktower and stood still for a few minutes, long enough for Jen to catch up to him. He looked at her for a moment before turning away and falling into a seat at the counter they used to take orders from. This morning was easily one of the weirdest and worst in his life.

"I had breakfast with her this morning." He murmured, leaning his arm on the counter, resting his chin on that.

"Who?" Jen was calm, using everything she'd ever learned to be quiet.

"My sister." Wes put his face into his hands.

"You never mentioned a sister." Jen commented idly, realizing her mistake as soon as she'd spoken. "I know, I didn't mention Bronwyn either, but we aren't really close."

"Why not?"

"We have different mothers." Jen scowled. "My father cheated on my mother with hers, and left us to live with them when I was five. Bronwyn was three."

"It's not really her fault." Wes frowned. "It's your father's."

"Logically I know that." Jen leaned against the counter, giving up in a sense. "Our father ran off with another woman when I was probably ten or so, I know I blame her. I know I shouldn't, but it's hard." She shrugged and Wes frowned.

"My mom was the only thing in my life that kept us together." Wes murmured. "I never understood why she died, but no matter what it'd come out of nowhere. Dad worked more and more, and as soon as she was old enough, Rachael was gone. No one told her about Dad before; I called her when it was all done with." Wes referred to his father's near death and appearance of Jen's fiancé Alex carefully. "She came to see how he was I guess."

"Does she look like you?"

"No." Wes chuckled. "She looks like mom, almost identical really. But she's my Irish twin."

"Irish twin?" Jen quirked her eyebrows curiously.

"It's a sibling born within a year. Rachael and I have the same birthday." Wes grinned. "To be technical we're the same age for seven hours before I become older again. It made us pretty close."

"My Mom always referred to Bronwyn as the 'bastard's daughter'." Jen admitted suddenly. "I was a little kid, excited to have a sister. I said something and she slapped me."

"So you resent Bronwyn because your mother did." Wes reasoned.

"I guess." Jen slouched. "Now I feel bad."

"It's not too late." He laid a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"She dumped Lucas."

"That doesn't seem relevant." Wes frowned. "You're making excuses now."

"I know." Jen scowled at him. "It's hard to change your perception of a person, even if you realize they aren't who you thought they were. My mother did everything she could to make me hate my father and Bronwyn, and I love my mother. It's hard to just ignore that."

"Don't give up." Wes grinned. "Rachael isn't nearly perfect, she makes terrible decisions on a daily basis, but she's my sister. I love her no matter what."

"How bad of decisions could she make?" Jen tweaked an eyebrow. "Your worst was probably skipping school."

"Rachael has a bad habit of sleeping with men she doesn't know that well." Wes winced as he said it. "I'd like to defend her and say she doesn't sleep around, but I've never asked her enough to find out." He shook his head. "I suppose she's just being a college kid, but I still worry about her."

"Doesn't sound outrageous to me." Jen frowned. "She sounds immature. Doesn't have a mother to talk to about sex, so she ends up with whomever."

"Exactly what I try to tell her." Wes shook his head. "She was alright in high school, but from what I can tell, college did her in. I swear, she goes places and does that thing where she finds a guy to spend the night with instead of finding a motel or coming home. She did it again last night." He muttered darkly, using his mind to wish the guy would drop off the face of the earth. Or for that matter every man Rachael had come in contact with that wasn't related to her would just be instantly repelled from her. Except she was beautiful. The long black hair and piercing green eyes didn't really help him that much, nor did her fairly accessible list of hobbies. From sports to car repair, she was the opposite of a girly girl, but beautiful enough to prevent that from mattering.

One other person had the same thoughts running through his mind on repeat during the day. It had been a relatively quiet day for the guardians, which left him quite a bit of time to think about the green eyed beauty that would be visiting his house at eight that night. Why had she picked eight? What was she going to cook? More to the point, why did she want to come back, and what was her last name? He sat in the tiny office that barely had enough room for his desk and a filing cabinet staring at the wall, neglecting his paperwork until late. It got to be late afternoon, and seeing how he wasn't going to be able to get anything done, he went to the nearby training gym and worked out until she was off his mind.

After that didn't work he went into the showers and stood there, his skin reddening angrily as the heat irritated every inch of him. It was seven thirty by the time he returned to his office to finish off some final paperwork before his drive home. It was a few minutes before eight, and he didn't see her car anywhere. Chiding himself for feeling like a teenager before a date, he went inside, changed his clothes from his uniform to jeans, going into his kitchen to try and clean it, but stopped dead in the door.

She was there. Standing in his kitchen like she belonged there, pulling things out of a large brown paper bag, filling this refrigerator with foreign items. "There you are." She grinned as she spotted him.

"Do you usually break and enter?" Eric frowned and leaned against the doorway, watching her move.

"Your SUV is in the driveway." She explained without a care. "And the door was unlocked. Now help me." She pointed to a large case of beer sitting on the floor. Curiously grateful, Eric picked it up and stowed them in the fridge, rearranging the things she'd put in wrong. "Perfectionist." She commented. Eric looked up from her where he knelt on the floor. She was turned to him, one hand on the counter, the other on her hip. He reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her down and laying her on the linoleum floor. Her hands flew around his neck and pulled him down to her, kissing him soundly. They laid there for a few minutes, absorbed in each other, hands roaming as their mouths crashed against one another, warring for control. "I've been waiting all day for that." She was breathless when he pulled back.

"You mystify me." He muttered, sitting up and pulling her with him. Rachael frowned for the first time since he'd known her, but didn't speak, both stood and she went to the cabinets, searching for pots and pans. "Need any help?"

"Could you help me if I did?" She raised an eyebrow in amusement, her good humor returned.

"Probably not." Eric admitted and sat down at the table, watching her throw things together, slicing, dicing and stirring things. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he did know it smelled good. She was humming as she cooked. Humming. He didn't recognize the song, but she seemed to know it well.

"Aren't the Rangers on tonight?" She asked after a while. Eric went to the TV a few feet away and clicked it on, finding the game easily.

"They're over the Canucks by two." He informed her.

"Damn." She swore, moving to his side. "One thing I can't stand is a New York team winning."

"Even the Yankees?" Eric grinned, getting a swat to the arm for his trouble.

"That's a horrible, horrible thing to say to a Red Sox fan. Go wash your mouth out with soap." She glared at him.

"No." He grabbed her waist and kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless. "Better?"

"A bit." Rachael grinned and slid back to the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the meal, dishing it onto two plates and setting them on the table at an angle where they could see the television and the game as they ate. And it was easily the best damn chicken a la king he'd ever had. He wasn't sure how she'd managed to create it so quickly, and from fairly few ingredients she'd picked up at the store. The woman had to have a fault. She had to. He couldn't find one yet. After eating they loaded the dishes into the sink and settled on the couch to watch the rest of the game, arguing over the finer points, celebrating when the NY rangers were knocked down a peg by Vancouver.

By the end she was leaning on his chest, one of his arms was resting on her shoulder and he was completely confused as to how he'd gotten himself in this position. How had he gotten into this… this… _relationship_ without knowing? This girl was scary, and intriguing. And he still didn't know her last name. And they were getting to the point where asking was insulting. Frustrated, he turned to look at her, getting a nosefull of her hair. That was a mistake. The scent of her was intoxicating and resisting her was over. He leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck gently, nuzzling under her ear. Her head leaned back, exposing the soft skin of her neck to him, which he attacked with vigor.

Adjusting so that she was underneath him, he pulled at her shirt, removing it to kiss her neck and chest, making his way down to her stomach. Her hands gripped his hair, but when he moved up to kiss her again she pulled his shirt up and over his head and ran her hands over his muscled chest, teasing his own body to meet her level of arousal. Their pants were gone within seconds, making good use of the couch. Then the floor. Then the kitchen floor.

Eventually they made it to the bedroom, and even later they made it under the bed. But Eric was able to wake before his alarm clock as usual, this time unsurprised to see the girl in his bed. Instead of lying on the other side, this time she was tucked against him, her slim, naked form pressed against his. Quietly, he shut off the alarm and slid from the bed, leaving her sleeping undisturbed. He made the coffee again, this time having a second mug ready. While it brewed he caught sight of her wallet lying on the counter with her car keys.

Her wallet had her license in it. Her license had her last name. An internal war about whether it was right or wrong raged in his mind as he stared at the small black object just laying there. He stood up and took a step for it, bypassing his morals to make himself feel better.

"God you're amazing." Her voice startled him into turning back to see her coming into the room, wrapped up in his clothes again. Her beeline for the coffee was rewarded with a hot cup which she poured half and half she'd gotten at the store. It was amazing to have groceries in his house, an entirely new phenomenon to be fair. He glanced at her wallet for a second before moving closer to her, and wordlessly kissing her good morning. "Morning." She smiled as he pulled away and frowned.

"You confuse me." He said quietly.

"Same goes." Her face mirrored the frown she'd gotten the night before. She backed up a step and sipped her coffee again. "Do you want to see me again?" She looked straight at him, no emotion in her eyes.

"Yes." He answered honestly, the first thought to his mind. "I have to shower." He stepped past her and into the bathroom. Rachael stood in Eric's kitchen alone for a moment, staring at the wall.

Shit. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to find some random guy at a bar, go home with him and develop feelings for him in a forty-eight hour span. That would be stupid. Really stupid. She sat at the table as the water turned on. She leaned her head into her hands. Wes warned her about the things boys would do to her. He hadn't warned her she might like one of them. Sex was just sex. Momentary physical release with another person. But this, this wasn't just momentary. She'd thought about Eric all through breakfast with Wes, while she was falling asleep in her own bed, when she woke up, the entire afternoon while she'd visited her father and done some work in her room, and especially while she roamed the grocery store for a good two hours while she thought about what she was going to cook him for dinner. Great.

Annoyed at herself, she took a few steps into the small living room and scooped her clothing off of the floor. And on top of the television. Her face reddened when she realized he'd thrown them with such power that they'd made it across the room to land there. That wasn't something to be embarrassed about she muttered to herself as she slid them on again, covering them with her jeans and exchanging Eric's shirt for her own. She paused for a minute, and looked at his small house. It was modest, two bedroom, one bathroom house with a small kitchen, living room, laundry and a one car garage that couldn't fit his SUV if it was completely empty. The entire thing could probably fit into her father's house at least three or four times. But it was clean, especially for a single guy living there. He had a respectable number of cooking utensils, and a fairly large television that made watching hockey games much better than the tiny one in her shared apartment back in Boston.

Boston. The thought of it made her groan. The place was slowly killing her with its intense snowfall. It was great the first year, the second the novelty had worn off, and by the third she spent the winter praying for sunlight. Despite being late March, California was still warm, sunny, and the only time the hems of her jeans got wet were when it rained, and that was only occasionally. God she missed dry clothing. She hadn't planned on staying back West, but as she stood staring at the blank wall of Eric's living room, the reality that she'd be moving out of Boston became more and more real.

"Do you want to go to O'Reilly's tonight?" Eric's voice behind her had her turning. He was wearing his work clothes again, a weird set of blue cargo pants and shirt. She wasn't even going to mentally comment on the red beret he held in his hands.

"Sure." She nodded and moved to the kitchen to get past him and get her keys but he didn't move. He grabbed her arm, then waist and crushed her lips with his. She felt her heart stumble, but stopped it. There was no way she was going to let herself fall in love with someone she'd just met. "I'll see you tonight." She murmured when they pulled back, and she hurried from the house, getting into her car and driving away quickly. She'd gone almost twenty-two years without falling in love with some idiot, or any of the men she'd had trysts with, and was not going to fall in love with this one. It took her an hour to drive back to her father's house, making a few wrong turns from being so distracted.

"Rachael." Mrs. Bailey opened the door wide as she pulled in the driveway. Without a word Rachael fell into the woman's arms and held on tightly. "Oh baby, come inside." The older woman led the girl to the kitchen and had a cup of tea in her hands in a minute. "Now, you'll tell me what hurts." She requested, standing with her hands on her hips across from the girl she'd taken care of for eleven years.

"Was she a good Mom?" Rachael's eyes focused in on Mrs. Bailey's, reaching an intensity the girl was generally afraid to get to. She hid the way she felt frequently and often, making it hard for people who didn't know her to figure out what she wanted or felt. Only Wes and Mrs. Bailey herself could always figure her out, they knew she preferred to be seen as light hearted and carefree, but times like this she even betrayed herself.

"She wanted to be." The woman answered thoughtfully. "I know she loved you and Wes, and your father, so she was always at his side."

"She always tucked me in. Even though I thought I was too old to, it was our time together." Rachael murmured sipping her tea. "I was starting my descent into teenager-dom."

"An accurate description." Mrs. Bailey commented. "You were a terror."

"I know." Rachael grinned and wrapped her hands around her tea. "I was the typical motherless teenage girl with Daddy issues. Guess I still am." The grin faded into a frown.

"Only if you want to be." Mrs. Bailey leaned on the counter. "You can change."

"I don't think I have a choice now." Rachael looked up, her façade gone, pure distress showing on her face.

"Oh, what happened love, man break your heart?"

"Not yet." Rachael frowned. "I think I'm going to break it for him." Her head fell to the counter in pure exasperation. "I'm an idiot."

"You had to know you were going to fall for one of them eventually." Mrs. Bailey moved around to put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It serves you right that he lives here and not back east." She said with a smile as she rubbed circles in the girl's back.

"You say that like I'm going to marry him." Rachael turned her head to look at the woman who'd been the closest thing to her mother for over ten years.

"You don't get this upset over a man you can get over." Mrs. Bailey chided her, taking her tea mug to refill it. "He must be special."

"He's… different." Rachael shrugged. "With other guys it's mostly just the sex, and I didn't mind that. But this time, we have things in common. We talk about things, nothing deep so far, but I mean, we argued about hockey for an hour last night. An hour! And I don't even know how long we argued about cars, the man prefers GM to Ford." She scowled at the last part.

"An hour about one of your favorite subjects, and an indefinite time with the other." Mrs. Bailey commented absently as she poured the hot water into the cup. "Sounds like a real conversation."

"It scares me." Rachael admitted in a small voice. "I'm terrified of him." She sat up and rested her head in her hand. Suddenly she started to laugh. "This is absurd, I barely know him."

"That doesn't mean you don't care about him." Mrs. Bailey stirred the honey into the mug and passed it back to the distressed woman. "Love happens in unexpected ways." A dreamy look captured her face, getting a slight smile from the younger woman.

"Mr. Bailey?"

"I wanted nothing to do with him." She smiled. "But he persisted, my, was he stubborn." She laughed and sat next to Rachael. "I warmed up to the idea, but I kept him hanging for a few weeks before I gave in. We had ten wonderful years together before he died." She smiled at Rachael.

"Would you have married him again, knowing you'd only have ten years?"

"In a heartbeat." Mrs. Bailey smiled. "My son is my life, as are you and Wesley." She wrapped her arms around Rachael, holding her close. "And now my grandchildren, and whatever children you and this man give me."

"Oh God don't even say that." Rachael muttered darkly. "I'm dipping my toes into feeling; I'm not quite ready to make a baby with the man." She sat up scowling.

"Well I believe I've told you the result of sex." Mrs. Bailey raised her eyebrows as Rachael frowned at her. "It'll happen someday whether you're ready or not."

"Please don't curse me; I've been blessed thus far." Rachael rolled her eyes skyward.

"Nice choice of words, love. Now go shower, you smell like him." Mrs. Bailey pushed her toward the stairs.

"Is it a good smell?" Rachael went up the stairs with a grin on her face. Mrs. Bailey shooed her up to her room and bathroom, pleased to hear the water running a few minutes later. The older woman rolled her eyes. The girl was a nightmare compared to her brother, and comparing the both of them to her own son just wasn't fair. Michael had created a life for himself from scratch. He had been nine when his father died in a tragic car accident and his mother had taken a job working for Alan Collins and his pregnant wife. Irene had been an angel, letting Michael stay at the home and do his homework while his mother worked. He'd returned from college to attend her funeral, and talked to Wes the entire time, comforting the boy about losing his mother. Now he was working his way up a corporate system, happily married to a sweet girl in Southern California.

And Wesley was up to no good living with his friends in town while his sister debated her life in the shower. A smile lit Mrs. Bailey's face, making a mental note to check up on Wes, and maybe deliver a basket of food to his friends. Maybe Alan would like some dinner tonight for once. Her thoughts soured at the first thought of their father. The man had two wonderful children and didn't spend any time with them, but he seemed to have notice that lately. At least he wasn't a complete idiot.


	3. Chapter 3

Morning at the clocktower was slightly less stressful as the night before, with the rangers banding together to grab some breakfast before setting out on their first job of the day. Katie was in charge of making sure everyone had cereal and a job that day, and was taking it seriously. "Eat Wes." She scolded with a frown.

"I'm not hungry." He frowned at her.

"Want to go have breakfast with more mystery girls?" Katie retorted and Wes grinned.

"Sure, I'd love to, are you busy?"

Katie frowned and crossed her arms suspiciously as the red ranger scooped up a handful of cereal and popped it in his mouth with a cheeky grin. They were about to start the argument over when Trip interrupted from where he was watching the morning news. The breaking story showed the Silver Guardians, led by Eric, holding off a monster attack at the BioLabs building. The footage was incomplete, but clearly showed the monster vanishing without any major harm to the building or Guardians.

"Oh no." The anguish in Circuit's voice disturbed them. "Better call Bronwyn." He advised to Trip, shaking his head and waving his wings. Jen sat at the computer and opened the communication link, and after a few seconds Bronwyn was seated directly in front of them, surprised at who she saw in front of her.

"Oh, hey Jen." She smiled weakly and the other girl responded with an equally as weak smile. "What's going on?"

"Koriarth?" Jen read the name from the computer curiously. "I've never heard of that one."

"No." Bronwyn swore ripely, disappearing from sight for a few seconds before returning with a computer pad in her hands. "Koriarth is a bounty hunter, specialized in taking down who we would term the 'good guys'." She started. "He was arrested for the murder of a CEO about four years ago." Her eyes came up as she sighed. "And he was the only lead we had when investigating the death of Lieutenant Irene Renard."

"He killed my mother." Wes' face started to grow with rage.

"We couldn't prove it Wes." Bronwyn tried to explain. "No stop Wes, you'll regret it." She had to yell to stop him from going out the stairs. He stood at the top, hand gripped on the railing, fury building in his body so that he was nearly shaking. "Wes, he's one to complete a job to the end. The very end."

"What's your point?" Lucas was the one to speak this time, anxiety as present in him as anyone else.

"He's going to go after Rachael." The words were barely out of her mother before Wes sprinted from the room. "She looks like Irene." She explained. "Go find her, keep her safe. Koriarth's choice of weapon is a 21st Century handgun. Do it." The link cut, leaving them to run after Wes to figure out how to save Wes and his sister and deal with the murderer who killed their mother.

The town was on guard again while a monster was loose, the Guardian's had their eyes peeled, and constant shifts were protecting BioLabs against another attack. Eric sat at his desk with a frown, staring at his phone. He had to work tonight, therefore couldn't meet Rachael. But he didn't have her phone number. Or her last name. Even if he had her last name, she'd lived in Boston for a few years and wouldn't be in the phone book. Why in the hell did he care so much that he couldn't tell her? Why did he hate that he wanted nothing more than to spend the evening watching hockey while she was curled in his arms? Why did that matter so much?

Because you're falling in love with her. A tiny voice in the back of his mind taunted him with the knowledge. Logically, he knew he'd only known her for two days. He didn't know her last name, he didn't know much about her, but she was alluring. Fascinatingly gorgeous with a complete knowledge of hockey and football. He was screwed. Leaning back, he stared at the phone, trying to work out how he could run to O'Reilly's and have Brennan or Killian relay a message to her. Except Brennan would probably hit on her. Scowling now, he slammed a half open drawer.

"Eric." Wes burst into the room, out of breath and winded. "I don't have time to argue with you, where's my father?"

"He should be at the house or his office here, why?" Eric stood, alarmed by the panic in his semi-friend's voice.

"I need to find her." Wes practically ran from the room.

"Wait, who?" Confused, Eric followed him as Wes started for the office Mr. Collins sometimes used. Wes didn't answer and went right into the office, exasperated to find it empty. "He's probably at the house."

"I was just there." Wes swore. "Mrs. Bailey hadn't seen her since this morning, said she came to see Dad."

"Who, Wes." Eric was calm with the panicked man, trying to get some information.

"My sister, she's in town, I don't want her in the way of Koriarth." Wes snapped, as angry as Eric had ever seen him. That was news; he didn't know Wes had a sister. The image of a perky blonde dressed in a pink sweater invaded his mind. Typical.

"We'll keep your father safe, and if she's with him, we'll protect her too, you don't have to worry." Eric tried to reason, but Wes turned.

"You don't understand, he's after her." Wes left the room after pacing it the entire conversation with Eric. Getting annoyed, Eric followed Wes outside, both men breaking into a sprint as the sounds of a battle echoed through the doors and inside. Breaking through the doors, they rolled to opposite sides of the doors, dodging the blasts from at least a dozen cyclobots that were starting for the doors. Several more were occupying the rangers while Koriarth stood in the center, arms folded as he watched the many machines do his work for him.

"Hello Red Ranger." The creature grinned, his humanoid form allowing him to show typical emotions, but was covered in a hard plated exoskeleton. Wes' entire body was frozen as Eric took on the cyclobots, curiously watching what was happening. "Where's your pretty sister?" Koriarth taunted.

"You'll never get her." Wes promised. "Not while I'm here."

"I can fix that." Koriarth unfolded his arms, revealing a pistol gripped in his hand. "You'll join your mother soon." He walked toward Wes, who morphed silently, too furious to speak.

Feeling considerably out of the loop, Eric morphed into the Quantum Ranger and focused on destroying the cyclobots, and keeping an eye on Wes. The red ranger pulled out his blaster and charged Koriarth, fighting with all his best, but it wasn't quite enough one on one. The other rangers tried desperately to get to him and help, but were held back by cyclobots. In one horrifying move, Koriarth had Wes on his back, unarmed, arms spread.

"That was fun." Koriarth sounded pleased with his win.

"Stop it." He turned, still smiling to face the one who'd spoken.

Rachael.

Eric's mind went completely blank. All comprehension was completely gone, shattered. Rachael was standing, hands hanging at her sides. Her hair was tied at the top of her head in a ponytail, black bangs resting on top of her eyes that were still brilliantly green while she stared down Koriarth. She was wearing different clothes than what she'd left his house that morning, a pair of jeans and a button down shirt that opened over a tank.

"Leave him alone, it's me you want." She took a step forward.

"Yes it is." Koriarth took his foot off of Wes and stepped toward the girl. The entire battle seemed to have frozen. The rangers were watching the girl and Koriarth carefully, four of them shocked at the resemblance between the photo of Irene Renard, and the girl standing in front of them, facing a monster. "You look like your mother." Koriarth commented.

"Thank you." She smiled, but it was an empty smile, dead eyes. Eric's mind reeled. Wes' mother. Rachael's mother. Wes' sister. Rachael was Wes' sister. The weight of that information was terrifying, especially as he realized her father was his boss.

"I'd give you the closure of letting you die like her, but we don't have time for that." Koriarth lifted the gun and fired in a second, no time for anyone to react. It was sickening to watch Rachael's body jerk, screams from several rangers echoing through the air. But she didn't fall. Her head turned down to her chest and her hand went under her plaid shirt. Anger filled Koriarth's face as she pulled the crushed bullet from under her shirt and dropped it to the ground.

"Would you like to try that again?" Rachael tilted her head ever so slightly to the right. Koriarth roared in fury, launching himself at the girl. Rachael dodged his attack, rolling over her back and to her knees, inches from where Eric was fighting the cyclobots. In a whirl of bright white light, Rachael straightened, this time dressed head to toe in a ranger suit similar to the five core rangers. Her suit was mainly black, with white and gold accents edging her belt and helmet, the arrow pointing down on her chest curling on the ends, matched on her helmet.

Without pausing Koriarth attacked again, putting the entire battle back into motion, the rangers getting their cyclobots destroyed as fast as they could. As soon as he was on his feet, Wes jumped in next to Rachael, the two of them working to battle Koriarth silently. Eric decimated his cyclobots first and backed up the two already battling Koriarth, the other four joining in slowly, Jen at the lead. They had him pinned down, his gun in Eric's hand. He struggled to reach the scrap of skin that would make him grow, but Lucas kept his arm pinned. Rachael leaned over and removed her helmet, grabbing the monster's chin and forcing him to look at her.

"Who ordered you to kill Irene Renard?" She said her mother's name carefully, putting the proper French accent on her surname.

"I'll never tell."

"Like hell." Rachael swore and squeezed slightly more. "You're going to give me every fragment of knowledge whether you want to or not." She muttered darkly, pulling a small coin shaped object from her pocket. Koriarth hissed and struggled, held down by the rangers, Rachael managed to press it to his temple, pressing down hard for at least a minute. A small blue light appeared on it, triggering her to remove it and place it safely in a handheld object and backing off. "He's yours." She nodded to Jen, who moved forward, putting him in a cryoprison, despite his screaming protests.

"That was nice not to deal with him huge." Katie mumbled darkly, an almost comical statement.

"We should get to the clocktower." Trip suggested, looking to Rachael who nodded slowly, putting her helmet back on to protect her identity. "Eric?" He asked, and Rachael's head whipped to look at the Quantum Ranger. He demorphed and shook his head.

"No, I need to take care of things here." He looked at Rachael briefly. "I'll catch you later." He turned and jogged into the building without looking back, Rachael's eyes glued to him. Eric was the Quantum Ranger. That meant he was Captain Myers. Eric Myers. For one absurd moment she thought it was a nice sounding name, but banished it for the more pressing matters. They climbed the stairs to the hideout at the top of the tower, demorphing as they went, silently making it to their main living space. Rachael went for the holographic computer and started it silently, opening the link to Bronwyn as she pulled the disc from the handheld object.

"Did you get it?" Bronwyn asked briskly.

"Yes." Rachael snapped. "I'm sending it now, don't lose it, and get it all back to me by tomorrow."

"Remember who gives the orders." The blonde frowned as the green eyed girl narrowed her eyes.

"Yes ma'am." She shut off the link immediately after completing the file transfer.

"What the hell Rachael?" Wes finally found his voice, staring at his sister, hands on his hips. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? Catching the bastard who murdered Mom." Rachael answered calmly.

"You know that isn't what I meant."

"What do you want me to say? I'm the current Time Force Lieutenant, I succeeded Mom." Rachael frowned and leaned on the edge of their picnic table. "I finished college a year early, and instead of going for the spring I went to 3000 for training. I came back when Dad was attacked and Alex returned. I had strict orders to not act until Koriarth appeared. End of story."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Wes demanded. The other rangers awkwardly moved around the room, skirting the arguing siblings. "I had a right to know."

"Sure you did, and if it had been a while before Koriarth showed up, I'd have told you, but there wasn't time." Rachael replied with a scowl.

"Talk to me Rachael."

"Why?" She finally matched his tone, as fed up and angry as he was. "Why start now Wes?" She moved forward, throwing her hands up into the air and dropping them in exasperation. "We haven't been close since Mom died, and you know that." She hit him with all the ammo she had. "You stopped caring. So why don't you go get plastered and ignore me like you used to." The shot hit him squarely in the chest, stunning him so she could walk past him and to the stairs.

"Rachael!" He called after her, pivoting in place.

"Leave me alone." She shouted and sprinted down the stairs and out of sight. Wes stood frozen for a few seconds before collapsing on the couch. His friends sat near him, their thoughts seemed to integrate into his. He could almost feel the questions.

"In high school I drank a lot." Wes admitted with a frown. "And afterward, in college. I loved the party, didn't care that I was drinking away my life." He released a deep sigh. "I didn't realize how bad it was until the second summer Rachael refused to come home. I wasn't an alcoholic, but I was heading that way. I'd cut down, but I didn't really quit totally until you guys showed up. When I had something to live for, I didn't need it anymore."

"And you feel guilty because Rachael should have been the reason." Katie whispered softly from where her head was resting on her legs. Wes nodded without looking up.

"You each had your ways of coping." Jen commented with a frown as she seemed to stare out the window. "Neither was healthy or safe."

"No." Wes agreed. "And I've practically pushed her away again." He shook his face in his hands.

"It takes time, Wes." Katie tried to encourage him.

"Don't take anything at face value." Lucas advised. "If you knew this little about what Rachael's been doing, how do you know you're right about the other things?" Wes frowned for a moment, but realized Jen had probably filled the others in on their conversation about their sisters. He didn't mind really, they all deserved to know, especially now that it seemed Rachael was going to be working with them. Or parallel.

"I don't." He admitted. "I don't know my sister." He stood up slowly and retreated to where he, Lucas, and Trip slept, laying down and staring at the ceiling. To be perfectly fair, he didn't know Rachael that well. He hadn't spent any real time with her since their mother died, sure they'd had breakfast now and again, but that hadn't helped. He'd lived at the Prep school while she went to a girl's private school and then college across the country. It was just as much his fault as anyone's.

Thinking along the same lines, Rachael sat on Eric's stoop, chin resting on her knees as she sat there. She wasn't sure how long she'd been there, at least an hour, maybe two, before a shadow covered her body. Looking up to Eric's towering form was intimidating, especially since everything neither of them had known had come out. She stood up, wringing her hands, trying to work up the courage to speak.

"Did you know who I was?" Eric spoke first, the question that had been on his mind since seeing her earlier.

"No." She shook her head. "The only reason I never told you my last name was because as soon as guy's find out I'm a Collins, who my father is, they change. They either decide to take me for all the money he has, or run." Without answering Eric walked past her to the door. Fighting tears, Rachael stood still, her back to him.

"Are you coming inside?" He asked and she turned. He had the door open, watching her, no anger in his face. She moved after him, closing the door behind her. Eric moved through the house, removing his work things and going into the bedroom to change. Too anxious to sit still, and knowing they probably weren't going to O'Reilly's, she went to the refrigerator and started cooking with whatever was left from the night before. Eric exited the bathroom and watched her cook frantically.

"If you'd known my name," She started, back to him, "would it have changed things?"

"Yes." Eric answered honestly, leaning against the counter, watching her cook, throwing things together. "You're my boss' daughter, I'd have respected that." She paused and faced him.

"And now?" Her eyes were the darkest green he'd ever seen. He slid his hand to her waist and pulled her close to him, mouths a breath apart.

"And now I'm playing with fire." He murmured before pressing his lips to hers, pulling her up into his arms for a better angle.

"He trusts you." She whispered as he pulled back. "My father, I heard him saying something about Captain Myers. I didn't know it was you, and he doesn't know what you and I've done."

"And he doesn't need to." Eric kissed her briefly.

"Wes'll find out." Rachael protested, but he kept kissing her. "Eric." Her worries turned into laughter as he kissed her neck. She swatted him away to make sure the food didn't burn on the stove, pleased to see a grin on his face. "You should smile more, looks good on you."

"Nothing looks good on you." Eric moved behind her, hands planted on each hip.

"Later, food first." Rachael laughed as she finished throwing together the omelets she'd created with the leftovers. He took the plates to the table as she poured glasses of water. "Do you mind that I work for Time Force?"

Eric thought for a few seconds while he chewed. "Wes might." He shrugged. "I don't see how my opinion means anything."

"I'm not going to stop working for Time Force if you don't like it, but I would leave you." Rachael frowned.

"Are we together?" Eric looked up after her comment. Rachael's mouth dropped open. Good question. Damnit.

"This is the third night I've been here." Rachael started slowly. "That's the longest relationship I've had since high school."

"You can stay whenever you want." Eric kept eating but paused after a while. "What happened to your mother?"

Rachael sighed and started to explain her mother's job and importance with Time Force. Eric listened carefully as she described her mother's death from how she understood it as a child, and then the explanation of what had really happened that she learned when she was older. She told him the full story of how she'd left home as soon as possible and ended up in Boston. He cleared the table while she spoke, telling of her entrance into Time Force and learning everything she could about her mother's death. Then her return to Silver Hills, all the way up to meeting him at O'Reilly's. After she finished it was quiet for a few minutes, sitting together on the couch.

"How much power is in your suit?" He asked after a bit.

"Less than yours, more than them." She shrugged. "Speaking of." She stood up and unbuttoned her over shirt, a captive audience of one watching her carefully. Underneath was a lightweight version of a bulletproof vest which she pulled apart and dropped on a nearby chair. She moved back into his arms, lying on top of him on the couch.

"Wes and I went to Prep together." Eric admitted, causing her to lean upward and face him. "I dropped out eventually. He was the only friend I had there."

"When he wasn't partying you mean." Rachael muttered darkly into his chest.

"Pretty much." Eric frowned. "It's not a family trait, is it?"

"If you ask Wes I'm practically a slut who'll sleep with any man I come across." She muttered darkly. "Since I joined Time Force I stopped going out all together, but even then before I didn't sleep with guys on a nightly basis. I went out once and a while, and yes, I'd spend the night with a guy on occasion. You were the first guy in quite a while." She admitted.

"Glad to hear it." Eric moved forward and kissed her soundly. "I don't want to arrest every guy that looks at you." He moved forward, pulling at the bottom of her shirt.

"Only if I get to cryo freeze the bitches that look at you." Rachael laughed and raised her arms so he could remove her shirt. Eric mumbled something unintelligible as he buried his face in her chest. Conversation halted there as they lost themselves in each other, removing their clothing piece by piece and making their way to the bedroom, preferring the comfort of Eric's bed rather than the couch again.

Peace settled in her heart as she lay in the crook of his arm. It was the early hours of the morning, the first time she'd felt this relaxed in a very long time. In the middle of a personal life crisis she was falling in love. What odd timing. It was unbelievable that they'd found each other in this situation, and came together in such a strange manner. At that moment she knew this was it. This is where she wanted to be. Petrified at her own thoughts, Rachael curled closer to Eric, her hand resting on his muscled chest. She mentally filed the information away so she could sleep, even though the constant reminder made it harder.

When it neared five in the morning, Eric woke with his arms wrapped around her back, her chest pressed to his, her head tucked under his chin, nose against his throat. He felt his heart thud slowly for a few seconds before picking back up into a normal rhythm. But he'd never be normal after this girl. Even if she left him and they never saw each other again, he knew he'd never not think about her. Wes' sister. The thought had scared him to death when he'd left the rangers the day before, but as he continued it didn't matter as much. It didn't matter at all. She wasn't her brother, she wasn't her father, she was a completely unique individual. When he'd pictured Wes' sister, he'd seen a girl incapable of self defense, prissy and annoying. But Rachael was anything but. She was strong-willed, personable, and beautiful.

He moved his arms when she moved, leaning back in his arms and opening her eyes slowly. Piercing green eyes met his under the shag of her black bangs. She didn't smile, didn't move, just looked. He did the same. "Move your stuff in." Eric murmured definitely, leaning forward and kissing her forehead before sliding out of bed.

Rachael sat up and watched his back retreat into the main part of the house. He'd just asked her to move in with him. Well technically he'd told her, but still. She sat there for a few minutes until she heard the shower running through the wall. Slowly she moved from the bed, and then looked back at it. The sheets needed to be replaced, not really cleaned, but burned and replaced with new ones with a higher sheet count. Some things from her past wouldn't go away, to be fair she was raised in luxury, and all she wanted were better sheets. And maybe a picture or two on the walls. They were bare, and mostly white, where they weren't white they were yellow. The house had potential at least.

Eric came back in as she was looking at the walls, hands on her hips, still unclothed. He grabbed her waist from behind, startling her, but she relaxed instantly. He kissed her temple, making her laugh at the wet hair brushing her skin. "Are you sure?" She asked as her eyes went back to the black walls.

"What, do you have conditions?" Eric frowned when she smiled.

"Just a couple." Groaning he started grabbing clothes and pulling them on.

"Go on, tell me." He requested with a sigh as he dressed for work.

"New sheets for starters." She grabbed her own clothes, annoyed as she looked at her plaid over-shirt, complete with a bullet hole. "And maybe some paint, or a poster on the walls." Eric followed her eyes as she said the few things, relief flooding him. He stood up and pulled her into his arms with a deep chuckle.

"You can do whatever you want to the house, my sister did what she could before I kicked her out." He grinned and Rachael pulled back, eyeing him. "My sister Grace is ten years older than me. She helped me move in here, but she's got a family in Florida." He explained with a shrug, taking Rachael's hand and leading her toward the coffee pot. "She was worried about me, so she spent a week here; I kicked her out because her kids started calling twice a day."

"That's sweet she cares about you." Rachael murmured, accepting a cup of coffee, her eyes blank.

"Wes cares about you." Eric frowned. "He looked sick when he came looking for you at headquarters."

Rachael's eyebrows knit together. "He wasn't there for so many years; it's hard to adjust to him being there for me again. When I was in Boston I went months without speaking to him, and now he's trying to be the big brother again. Grace left when you told her to." She looked at Eric who nodded.

"We still talk." He shrugged. "She's my sister; she's protective of me, that won't change."

"But she backed off when you were old enough." Rachael reasoned. "He's trying to be my father, and I already have one, not like he's ever cared." Bitter, she put down her cup of coffee and sighed. "I'm going to go, shower and see about Koriarth." She stepped forward and kissed him.

"I'll see you tonight then." Eric nodded and started grabbing his work things. Rachael smiled at the thought while she exited the house to her car. She drove to the mansion and stared at the shell of her childhood room. When she lived there fulltime there was a different feel to the room, her things were everywhere, darker colors in contrast to the pastels the room had been painted, the colors she was supposed to like. She showered and piled her clothing together, taking it down to the laundry area on the first floor and started methodically washing her clothes and sheets.

"You've become quite the domestic." Mrs. Bailey commented from the door as she finished loading the clothes into the washing machine, not yet starting it.

"Believe it or not, in Boston I did my own laundry." Rachael grinned. "And I cooked my own food."

"Heaven help us." Mrs. Bailey rolled her eyes skyward as Rachael moved toward her. She hugged her before ducking under to return back up stairs. "You smell like him again." The older woman commented, the only answer she received was singing. Rachael hadn't sung since high school, and even then she was careful not to let anyone hear her. It soothed Mrs. Bailey's heart to hear it. Rachael was in love.


	4. Chapter 4

After showering, Rachael threw the rest of her clothes in the machine and started it, going into the kitchen, creating a breakfast from the well stocked fridge as she made a list of things she needed to get at the store for Eric's place. At their place. She stopped as she mentally corrected herself. She was moving in with him. Nerves rattled her, but they felt good. It was like she was on a rollercoaster, that exhilarating feeling of going over the edge from sanity into the complete unknown. Mrs. Bailey was hovering around her as she cooked, but she didn't care, she was too happy to care. Focusing on the good was the only thing keeping her sane. She ate her food absent mindedly, thoughts moving to more unpleasant subjects.

Mood diminished, she finished her food, put her plate in the dishwasher and jogged up to her room. Digging into the back of her closet she pulled out a yellow briefcase and set up the holographic computer on her desk, making sure her door was locked tightly. Mrs. Bailey didn't need to know about her involvement in Time Force just yet, the woman worried enough about Wes.

"Morning sunshine." Bronwyn greeted her as the communication link opened.

"Please don't test my patience." Rachael pleaded, rubbing her temples as she leaned her head into her left hand. "What do you have from Koriarth?"

"A damn good start." Bronwyn nodded. "Not a name, even he didn't get that, but we have a few places and other hits he's done." She looked at the information in front of her while Rachael waited. "I'm putting another Lieutenant on investigating here, you focus on helping the rangers."

"Bronwyn…"

"No, Rachael." The blonde almost snapped. "If we get anything, I promise I'll call your traveler. I will not leave you out of prosecuting whoever is responsible for this."

"Thank you." Rachael tried to smile, but it wasn't coming.

"Are you alright?" Bronwyn leaned forward, lowering her voice. "I'm doing the best I can on this end."

"I know, I'm sorry I was short with you yesterday."

"It's alright, I know you were stressed. Hell, I can barely deal with Jen." Bronwyn rubbed her face, relaxing for the first time in the past few days.

"We can do this." Rachael's voice was soft. "Jen does seem like a piece of work though."

"You two are pretty similar." Bronwyn admitted with a mischievous grin. Rachael frowned but didn't retort, she knew that was an accurate description. "I think she and Wes are good for each other."

"In what respect exactly?"

"The way Eric's good for you."

"I wondered how much you knew about that." Rachael scowled. "Don't tell me, I really don't want to know."

"They're not sleeping together or anything." Bronwyn shook her head. "At least I don't think they are, it'd be pretty awkward in that small space all five of them share. No, they're friends, well as friendly as Jen'll be to anyone who's not Alex." She frowned. "Jackass."

"Hey, he's biologically related to me." Rachael cracked a smile.

"He's marrying my sister." Bronwyn scowled. "But I probably won't be invited, so whatever." She shook her head. "We're off topic…"

"Per usual." Rachael grinned at her habit of distracting Bronwyn. She'd been able to distract the blonde the entire time they'd known each other, and she did so often. Through a camaraderie of teasing and torment, they'd formed a strange friendship, one they both valued in the harder points of their jobs.

"Is there anything you need right now?" Bronwyn finished her sentence, glaring at Rachael.

"I want in on that investigation." Rachael frowned. "I know, I know, you can't open the portals just for me until Ransik's captured, I know." She sighed, gripping the edge of the desk. "Anything I can do from here?"

"Did you find your mother's traveler yet?" Bronwyn frowned and looked through a few things.

"No." Rachael sighed. "Dad removed a lot of her things from the house; he put a lot of it in the basement at the Silver Guardian Headquarters, which is why I was there yesterday."

"Wasn't there?"

"Didn't get enough of a chance to look, by the time I found the right boxes the battle started. I'll go back today." Rachael nodded and noted it down on her list. "Anything else?"

"Watch Eric, he tends to end up alone a lot of the time." Bronwyn advised. "And go see your brother, you need to talk."

"I could say the same thing." Rachael frowned.

"Getting a chance to talk to Jen in this situation is nearly impossible."

"Nearly impossible is not impossible." Rachael reasoned, getting a frown in response. "I'll talk to Wes if you try to talk to Jen."

"Fine." Bronwyn scowled. "I don't know how you get me to do these things."

"I'm a mind ninja." Rachael grinned for the first time in their conversation. "Let me know what happens."

"Will do." Bronwyn promised and cut the link, no more personal time between the girls, a return to work and seriousness. Rachael packed away the computer and stowed it under her bed this time, she'd be coming back for it soon enough.

"Rachael, your clothes are done." Mrs. Bailey called from the bottom of the stairs holding a laundry basket. "Were you studying?"

"No, talking a co-worker." At least the answer was honest. Not completely honest, but honest enough. "You put them in the dryer? Thanks." She kissed Mrs. Bailey's cheek, and took the basket from her.

"Want help?" The older woman asked sweetly.

"Uh no." Rachael tried to hide how uncomfortable she was, but without fail Mrs. Bailey saw right through it.

"You're hiding something." She crossed her arms and searched Rachael's face. "Packing?"

"Why do I even bother to hide things from you?" Rachael muttered darkly and turned up the stairs.

"Because you're stubborn." Mrs. Bailey answered easily, following Rachael up the stairs. "Now, are you going back to Boston, or across town?"

"Am I crazy?" Rachael started folding her clothes to perfection, smoothing out all wrinkles and making sure the corners were perfectly square. "It's going so fast, but I don't mind. It doesn't feel weird."

"Then I wouldn't say it's a bad thing." Mrs. Bailey agreed. "Even though if I had my say you and your brother would be confined to this house until after your respective weddings."

"Pretty sure the purity boat has sailed for the both of us." Rachael grinned mischievously, getting a swat for her cheeky comment.

"Be that as it may, I'd rather you stay here, but I'll support whatever decision you make." Mrs. Bailey began packing Rachael's duffle bag carefully, tucking her things in pockets and corners in the manner only a mother could really achieve. Pleased with the extra room Mrs. Bailey had conjured, Rachael tucked a few things from her room into the spaces, little things Eric probably wouldn't mind around the house. "Do you need anything?"

"Paint." Rachael laughed. "He gave me free reign to decorating."

"That's dangerous." Mrs. Bailey raised her eyebrows. "Don't paint his home Penguin colors."

"Why not?" Rachael frowned. "They can be very classy when properly administered."

"You never convinced your father, you never convinced me, good luck."

"Bah." Rachael said the word for the comic effect, throwing her hands up into the air. When the bag was full again, she grabbed it and the briefcase from under her bed and threw them in the car. Mrs. Bailey saw the yellow case but didn't ask, it was safer not to.

"Here." Mrs. Bailey handed Rachael a bag filled with premade food. "You won't have to cook tonight."

"Thank you." Rachael stowed the food in her car and hugged Mrs. Bailey with all of her might. "Thank you for everything you've done for me."

"You are always welcome my love." Mrs. Bailey held on to the only daughter she'd ever had. "Be careful."

"I always am." Rachael grinned and got in the car she'd built with her own hands. Mrs. Bailey remembered the day the girl had dragged the car home days before her seventeenth birthday and put it in her father's garage. Alan Collins had been furious and stubbornly ordered her to get rid of it, but the girl won in the end, piecing it together with scraps and a few mail ordered parts. It wasn't capable of driving for over a year, and with Rachael stuck at a boarding school, she'd drive the car Alan had bought her home on the weekends to work on her own car that she paid for herself. It was completed two months before she graduated. While she was at school, Alan had a small change of heart and paid for it to be painted the classic red with black stripes she wanted, and black leather interior true to the car's original make. It was a rare moment of familiarity, when they were happy to be a family for once. She had it flown to Boston, and drove it across the country back only a few days ago.

Rachael was very careful with her car, it was her baby. There was always a love between a person and a car they built from scratch. She'd dragged home a shell, and made it a car that ran, and ran well. She parked it in front of the Silver Guardian's headquarters, careful that all the doors were locked before she went inside, keys in hand, jostling them. Inside she started for the basement where her mother's things were stored, but paused and backtracked to the receptionist.

"Hey, is Captain Myers here?" She asked and the girl looked up, an unreasonably nasty look on her face.

"He's very busy." She said with an air of superiority.

"That's nice; please let him know I'm here." Rachael kept her tone light, sickeningly sweet. Resigned, the girl picked up the phone.

"Captain Myers, it's Lisa. There's a woman here to see you. Yes sir, yes sir, no sir, yes sir." The smile faded from her face. She dropped the phone in its cradle and looked at Rachael with a stone face. "Third door on the left."

"Thanks so much." Rachael let the sarcasm drip in her voice. The third door on the left was at the end of a long hallway, and a very tiny door it was. She pushed it open gently, but another force yanked it from her, pulling her inside and pushed her against the wall.

It had been a long morning. Ok, it had been four hours since he'd seen her, but she was there, and he wasn't entirely sure how he'd gotten her pinned against the wall so fast. The need to have her was just too much to suppress. And she'd showered and smelled like that fascinating shampoo women used. And she was laughing as he kissed her in his tiny office. She leaned against his desk, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled back, pleased to see how dark her green eyes had gotten.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." She grinned and gave him another kiss. "I wanted to see if you would lend me your keys so I could drop some things off. Perishables." She clarified.

"Sure." He grabbed his keys and removed the house key, pressing it into her hand. "Just don't blow it up."

"I'll do my best." Rachael rolled her eyes and kissed him again. "I'll bring it back in an hour, want me to bring you lunch?"

"Sure. Whatever's fine." He shrugged, not able to help but grin as Rachael slipped out the door with a small good-bye. She was back in almost exactly an hour bearing four huge slices of pizza from one of the best places in town. "I'm not letting you go." Eric grabbed her and kissed her with a loud smacking sound before digging into the pizza like a starved man. They ate together with minimal conversation, too busy with the massive slices. It was impressive to see that she'd packed away as much as he had, and he felt fairly full.

"I do love Giovanni's." Rachael leaned back in her chair happily. "Mom used to take me and Wes there after school when Dad had to work late." She closed her eyes, a smile plastered on her face.

"Your mother sounds sweet." Eric commented, picking up her paper plate to toss them in the corner garbage bin.

"She was." Rachael opened her eyes and watched Eric sit down at his desk and shuffle papers around. "And apparently also a badass Lieutenant for Time Force."

"Like mother like daughter?"

"Suck up." Rachael leaned over the desk to catch his mouth with hers. "Don't stop." She pulled back, getting a frown. "I'll be in the basement if you need me." She grinned and slid from the room for a second time, leaving him more bothered than when she'd come in the first time. The girl did weird things to his system; he wasn't used to needing someone so badly. The need be with her, to have her, breathe that weird scent that seemed to just stay with her all the time. He picked his house key up off the table and turned it in his hands idly, watching the light catch off of its edges.

Underneath him, Rachael dug through piles of things her father had stored in the basement of the building. Before she'd gone to college it had been sitting empty for several years, another one of her father's acquisitions. Her mother's things sat in the back of the basement, and searching through them was painful to say the least. She'd opened and gone through a few boxes of clothing, making sure nothing was hidden in them before folding them back up and putting them neatly back in place. She fought tears as her mother's scent threatened to overtake her.

A shadow overtook her and a pair of arms wrapped around her, "It's ok to cry." Wes whispered as he held his sister, rocking her gently. "I'm sorry Rachael." She was quiet against him, silent tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry too." She sat up and wiped her eyes.

"I stopped drinking altogether after I met them." He explained carefully.

"And I hadn't had sex in almost two years until three days ago." Rachael grinned wickedly, watching her brother wince.

"If you tell me who he is, I might murder him."

"I think he'd murder you first." Rachael laughed and took her brother's face in her hands. "Don't freak out, because I'll kill you if you do, but it's Eric."

"Eric?" Wes tried to stand up angrily, but Rachael pulled him down.

"I didn't know he was the Quantum Ranger until yesterday. Please don't go all 'big brother' on me again, I really like him." Rachael pleaded with him.

"Really?" Wes' face fell. "Why Eric?"

"I don't know why." Rachael shrugged, leaning back against the concrete wall thoughtfully. "He's sweet, we have similar taste in hockey teams, and he knew the year and model of my car the first time he saw it."

"Hey, I've never been into cars." Wes defended himself. Rachael's obsession with that car baffled him, but he'd helped her look for parts in the junkyards, keeping his sister safe from any jerks or creeps that would prey on the pretty raven-haired girl. Even then she'd been irresistible to men, attracting losers of all ages and professions. Wes swore she didn't see half of them, and Rachael admitted to not noticing men being attracted to her.

"I'm sure you have other attractive qualities." Rachael grinned and stood. "Like picking up heavy boxes because you love me."

"Yes ma'am." Wes grinned and saluted before piling the three boxes Rachael had repacked into the corner. They worked together, moving boxes and going through them, but their progress was slow whenever they got caught in memories of their mother. Boxes of photo albums and scrapbooks kept them occupied for hours.

"It's your baby book!" Rachael practically screamed with laughter as she flipped the pages, looking at the photos of her brother as a baby.

"And there you are." Wes grinned, pointing to where he was around eight months old, and their mother was starting to show with her second child.

"I'm sorry I had the audacity to be born on your birthday." Rachael grinned at her brother who wrapped an arm around her neck.

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Wes kissed her forehead and she pulled away.

"Yuck, don't be gross." She swatted him away.

"Here's yours." Wes pulled a pink book from the same box and opened to the pictures of a tiny baby with jet black hair. "Aww, aren't you adorable." He looked up at her. "Think Eric wants to see this?"

"Wes, no." Rachael lunged for the book, but Wes snuck out from under her, and to the stairs. "I'll show Jen yours!" She yelled, praying he heard it. A second later he appeared in the doorway.

"You wouldn't."

"I would." Rachael promised. "She'll finally see you naked."

"Too bad Eric's already seen you." Wes frowned as Rachael didn't deny it. It was one thing to know, entirely another thing to hear about it. "No, I'll show him anyway." He disappeared up the stairs, Rachael on his heels, running after him as they went for Eric's office. Wes burst in and Rachael laughed in his face.

"Ha! He's not even here." She celebrated and snatched her baby book back. Laughing, they moved down the hall together, Wes' arm around her shoulders, her head leaning on his.

"What are you two up to?" They turned as Alan Collins moved forward, grinning at his children.

"Absolutely nothing." Rachael flashed him a smile.

"Somehow I don't believe you." He wrapped an arm around her and rested another on Wes' shoulder. "I haven't seen you two together in a while." He commented, getting a sigh from his daughter.

"Well I do live in another state." She rolled her eyes.

"Not for long you don't. You're coming home after school's done, right?" Alan frowned at his daughter. She was bright, very motivated, but stubborn.

"We'll see." When she grinned he caught the light in her eyes, and his endless suspicion when it came to his daughter surfaced anew. Laughing he walked his children back to the entrance to the basement, sending them on their way back to the things they'd been sorting through. For a moment Alan wondered if Rachael knew Wes was the red ranger, but chose to leave that to them, and their bonding.

Back in the basement, they packed the albums away, not finding the traveler in any of those boxes. Rachael had described what the old one had looked like, showing Wes what hers looked like, and what it was capable of doing. The small handheld device was capable of opening small time portals, able to take her from Millennium City to wherever she needed to be. It was offline at the moment, to prevent any of the monsters Ransik had released from being able to use it to get back. Which is why they were looking for their mother's traveler. It was an older model, and couldn't be remotely shut off like Rachael's could. If anything got a hold of it, they were in trouble.

"You said it looks like a small cell phone?" Wes asked, frustrated at the lack of results.

"It's like mine, but silver, and thicker." Rachael pulled her out again and laid it on a box. It was between two and three inches wide and four inches tall, and very thin. Normal cell phones were large, chunky and their screens were pixilated block texts. Both siblings were impressed at the clarity and definition of her traveler, as well as the fact you could use it with your finger. Fascinating.

"I don't see it." Wes closed the last box and stacked it in a corner. Rachael frowned as she closed the last box she was digging through and sealed it again, stacking it with the others.

"Me either. Where would she put it?" She looked to Wes, who shook his head.

"No idea." He sighed. "I should get back, my friends probably won't appreciate that I ditched them again."

"Again?"

"You wouldn't believe the harassment I got for breakfast." Wes rolled his eyes as Rachael chuckled.

"We should all have breakfast. I'll cook." She volunteered. "I'll drag Eric up, we'll make a six am party of it."

"Jen's the only one awake at six." Wes frowned. "Everyone else is up around seven."

"And you sleep until nine, unless you have a date with me at eight." Rachael laughed as he scowled at her. She'd caught him on that one.

"Not anymore, I try to get up with Jen, but she's like a machine."

"Sounds like she needs to loosen up." Rachael commented absently. "Dinner then, not tonight, I've got plans."

"Eric taking you out?" Wes winced as he asked the question, getting a look from his sister.

"Something along those lines." She answered honestly. "I don't know what yet, but I'm going over there. Speaking of," she glanced at the time on her traveler, "I need to get some things first." She looked up and walked into Wes' arms. "I liked spending the day with you." She muttered against his chest. Wes wrapped his arms around her and squeezed.

"I miss you." He admitted as she pulled back.

"I'm not going anywhere." She grinned and pocketed her traveler. "See you tomorrow." Rachael turned in a whirl of jet black hair and went up the stairs into the main part of the Silver Guardian's headquarters and passed Eric's office, resisting the urge to see if he was in there.


	5. Chapter 5

He wasn't in there. He wasn't in there because he was at his house. Staring at it. The floors needed to be cleaned, as did the windows, the bathroom was filthy, and she was right about the sheets. They weren't exactly yellow anymore. Why did he have yellow sheets anyway? Irked, he started to clean, cleaning like he'd never cleaned before. Even Grace had cleaned when he'd moved in; doing all of the vacuuming and mopping while he moved boxes in and put together the furniture. The second bedroom was full of boxes still. He just left the door closed and ignored it. But today, because a woman was on his mind, he cleaned every inch of the bathroom until it was sparkly white, and mopped himself into his bedroom before he'd realized what he'd done.

Stuck in there, he started on his dresser drawers. There were four drawers, and by the time he was done, two were empty, the excess clothes stashed in the closet, which he made sure there were hangers for whatever female things she had. The female things that sat sheathed in a single duffle bag on the floor. Finding the kitchen floor dry, he vacuumed the living room and his bedroom, venturing into the spare room for a second before grunting and closing it again. There was no way he'd get that done in the few hours he had before she would make it over. He stripped the sheets off the bed and dumped them in the plastic laundry basket with his clothes and lugged it to the machines in the garage and dropped them there. What was this stuff in the garage, he wondered as more boxes seemed to sit there. Most of it came from his mother's house, after she'd gotten too ill to live there, he and Grace had sold the house and put everything into his garage, and since that had been months ago, he wasn't sure what he had, and what Grace had shipped to Florida.

"There you are." Rachael poked her head into the garage and grinned. "Wow." Her eyes widened at the sight of him in a pair of old jeans and a now filthy t-shirt. "I did smell pine sol." Eric shrugged and went for the washing machine to throw his stuff in. "Whoa hey." She stopped him. "You can't wash your jeans with the sheets, that's probably why they're green."

"They're supposed to be yellow." Eric admitted with a grin.

"I know." Rachael tried to hide her laughter. "I got you new ones, those will make good rags." She pulled them out, folded them and put them on the small workbench. Returning to the washing machine she methodically put his clothes in, separating the colors and adding the correct amounts of soap suggested by the manufacturer. She started it and turned back to him, as it shook dangerously next to her. "Need help?"

"Yes." Eric grabbed her quickly and kissed her deeply, unwilling to wait any more.

"Ew no." Rachael pulled away. "You taste like dirt." She laughed and wiped her mouth. Eric grinned and tried to catch her again, but she dodged him. "Don't fight me Myers." She warned.

"Try it Collins." He teased her but her face sobered. "What?"

"I told Wes."

"Told him what, exactly?" Fearing his life, the playfulness left his mood.

"That I've been here the past couple nights. And to leave it. He didn't like it, but I think he'll get over it." She shrugged, wringing her hands.

"He'd better." Eric moved for the inside of the house, holding the door for her to enter. "I cleaned a few drawers for you. He showed them to her and she nodded eyes on the door behind him.

"What's in there?"

"Boxes." Eric shrugged as she went for the spare room. Just like a woman, going for the one room he hadn't cleaned. The room was bright and airy despite the boxes that littered the floor. She surveyed it for a moment and closed the door.

"Why don't you shower, and I'll put my things away." She suggested, still looking at the smudges of dirt on his chest. Eric leaned in and kissed her before taking his shirt off and heading for the bathroom. Shamelessly she watched him enter the bathroom and start the water, not bothering to close the door. That man was used to living alone, and adding her to it didn't seem to be fazing him. Interesting. Thrilled beyond reason that the man had _cleaned_ for her, she opened the bottom drawers and put her things in, filling them to the brim. She put her brush and comb on top of it and a small jewelry box next to them. The photo of her family that she'd taken from her room at the house went on the bedside table on the opposite side of the bed, after wondering why he even had two for a second.

It took a few minutes to hunt out a pair of scissors to open the new sheets she'd gotten at a department store on her way over, but she found them, and a few other necessities. The sheets were dark blue and plain, a much better color than the faded yellow he'd had before. Once they were on the bed she winced at the bedspread, making a mental note to get a new one that went with the colors she was envisioning for the room. That, and to figure out why Grace was so obsessed with yellow.

"Nice." Eric commented as he came in, pulling on clean clothes from the drawers, covered only by a towel. Determined to stay focused on the redecorating Rachael turned her back to him to continue the conversation.

"I'm glad you like them. It was that or pink roses, it was a hard choice, but I think I made the right one." She made the story up on the spot to distract her from his chiseled chest. Why did he have to be so ripped?

"Turns out I'm a sucker for tiny flowers." Eric snaked his arms around her waist as she tried to pull something from her bag. "Too bad." He kissed her neck as she laughed at him

"Then you'll love the rose pattern wallpaper I picked for this room." Rachael teased as she turned back to him, all too willing to lose herself in kissing him. Now that he was clean, she savored the taste of him, pulling him as close to her as she could, without denying the fact her stomach was empty. Eric pulled back and kissed her forehead.

"How does take out Chinese sound?"

"General Tso's or I'm never talking to you again." Rachael grinned and went back to the rolled up poster in her hands. Suspicious but trusting Eric left her to it, ordering his usual and her order together, surprising the woman on the other end with the change. Damn. Next time he went in she was going to ask, unless he brought Rachael, then it would answer anything. And eventually find its way back to Mr. Collins.

"Did you tell your father?" Eric asked as she came into the room, missing her top shirt, just wearing the tank underneath it. Rachael stopped and shook her head.

"No, I don't think he noticed I was there at all." She frowned and went to the fridge and pulled out a beer for each of them. "Mrs. Bailey knows."

"Who?"

"Our Housekeeper slash Nanny slash driver slash the closest thing to a Mom since mine died." Rachael sat down at the table with him. "The woman loves us like her own kids." She took a sip from the bottle and shrugged. "She won't tell him."

"Why don't you tell him?"

"Tell one of the most powerful men in the state, and your boss that I've moved in with you." Rachael lifted her brows curiously. "Forgive me if I want to delay that conversation as long as possible."

"Forgiven." Eric grunted. "I don't look forward to it either. Or seeing Wes the next time." He took a swig of his own beer.

"So." Rachael stood up and moved around the table, taking his beer from his hand and settling herself in his lap. "About what you said about letting me decorate anything." She grinned and started to kiss his face.

"Mhm." Suspicious, Eric tried to keep his composure as her mouth roamed over his neck and chest, but she was making it hard.

"You don't suppose you could look at some colors I picked out." She nipped at his earlobe, and felt his entire body tense under hers. His hands braced on her hips, incapable of answering her as she practically assaulted his mind. He made a sound in his throat that sounded sort of like acquiescence and Rachael rewarded him by moving to his mouth, lingering for quite a few minutes. "Do you think we're going to fast?" She whispered cautiously.

"No, do you?" His eyes seriously met hers. Frowning for a moment, Rachael considered her answer for a moment before answering.

"No. That's why I'm worried."

"Don't worry." Eric leaned forward and captured her mouth again, not releasing her until a knock echoed through the kitchen. He stood up, enjoying her laughter as he carried her a few feet before setting her down on the floor so he could get the food and pay for it.

"Oh I haven't had New Palace Chinese in years." Rachael helped him open the containers and put them on dishes.

"It's my favorite." Eric admitted as he threw the take-out menu in a drawer that looked stuffed with them. Rachael laughed behind her hand as she chewed a bite of spring roll.

"Mine too. Wes always liked China Star, so we'd have to compromise, but the kid has no taste buds." She rolled her eyes and turned on the television, finding a hockey game with ease, settling down to watch it as they ate. Their night was clearly domestic, Rachael finishing Eric's laundry and folding it before he could offer to help, making it in time to help her put it away. The drawer closed seconds before he decided to make good use of his brand new sheets.

As the morning sun rose and shone in on them, it was a good feeling to know she didn't have to go home to shower and change. Wrapped in Eric's arms she felt so safe. He was still sleeping, and on his side while she was on her stomach, but his arm was resting over her bare back, hand on her side. Instead of snuggling closer to him, she slid from the bed and ducked into the shower, finding a towel in a small cabinet. The shower worked well, had a brand new head, and was fairly clean. She suspected it had been a victim in Eric's cleaning rampage the day before, but she wasn't going to complain. Singing to herself, Rachael nearly shrieked when the shower curtain was pulled open.

"Excuse me." She narrowed her eyes at him as he climbed in behind her.

"I wanted to try…" His voice dropped as he kissed her. The ten minute shower lasted thirty minutes, and her plan was almost derailed by Eric's sudden amorous mood. Bypassing the coffee in the kitchen, she dressed quickly and leaned over to kiss him before she left.

"I'll be around today." She shrugged.

"Still looking for the traveler?" Eric asked as he sipped from his cup.

"Yeah, I was thinking about checking the house today, but I don't think it's there." Rachael frowned. "I need to find it." She went to leave, but Eric grabbed her arm.

"Here, you'll need this." He pressed a cold small object into her palm and kissed her quickly before going to his bedroom to finish dressing for work. Rachael opened her hand and looked at the small silver key. Grinning uncontrollably, she hooked it onto her keychain and went for her car and driving as close to where she wanted to be as possible. Problem was she was only sort of sure of where she was going. Spying her target, she parked the car and pocked her keys, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"Hey, Jen." She greeted the pink ranger who stopped mid work-out and stared at her.

"Hey." She said awkwardly.

"Ah, so you talked to Wes." Rachael leaned against the tree Jen had been punching and leaned her head on it. "He's never been able to keep his mouth shut."

"Uh I guess." Jen had no idea what to say to this girl. She was Wes' sister, and she had some pretty strong feelings for the red ranger, whether she wanted to admit to that fact or not.

"Are you done?" Rachael turned her head to look at her and Jen shrugged, pulling the gloves off of her hands.

"I can be." Jen was wary, what on earth did she want?

"Want to get some coffee? Some breakfast? I'd like to talk to you." Rachael requested with a shrug. "If you say no I'll just impose on you guys at the clocktower." The threat was silly, and empty, but the grin on her face was irresistible.

"Sure, let me change." Jen gathered her things and let Rachael drive her to the clocktower, changing quickly, and without a word to any of the other rangers, got back in Rachael's old car as she drove a few minutes to a small diner Jen had seen many times before. Inside they sat at a booth, Rachael getting coffee, Jen requesting orange juice. "Did you want to talk about something?" Jen sat with her back to the back of her seat, uncomfortable.

"Yes and no." Rachael shrugged. "I want to talk to you, but if you don't want to answer, that's fine." Jen narrowed her eyes at the dark haired woman. She was talking about Bronwyn. "What is between you and Wes?" The question was absurd, and surprised Jen.

"Nothing, we're friends." Jen frowned, but Rachael smiled.

"Liar." She sipped her coffee.

"Fine." Jen couldn't believe her ears as she admitted to it. "I don't know, I'm confused."

"I don't blame you." Rachael shook her head. "I can't imagine what you're going through. Dealing with Alex's death, developing feelings for someone who looks like him, and more recently working with Bronwyn again. You have strength I wish I had." Rachael leaned forward. "I don't want to interview you, or interrogate you." She frowned. "I just want to get to know you, and the other rangers. I figured I'd start slow."

"So you start by sleeping with Eric." Jen's comment got a glare from the other girl, but she grinned.

"Please, one Wes is enough." Rachael rolled her eyes and laughed. "He's sweet."

"Not to us he wasn't." Jen shook her head. "He was nasty for quite a while, tried to recruit us to the Silver Guardians, and fought us at every turn. Only recently he started working with us more, it's been challenging." She shook her head as Rachael listened.

When the waitress came Rachael ordered for the both of them, despite Jen's protests. "No, I've tasted that stuff you people call food, and you need something with fat and flavor for once. Once won't kill your health."

"You're pushier than Wes."

"Wes couldn't push his way out of a paper bag." Rachael snorted. "He's my brother and I love him, but when it comes to girls, he lets them just push him over." Her eyes glittered as she looked at Jen. "You wouldn't believe the things he did for girls. And all innocent, just a good guy I guess." She shrugged thoughtfully.

"He told us about the drinking." Jen saw where Rachael's thoughts went.

"He would." Rachael nodded. "He's not an idiot. And I take it he told you his version of my questionable activities." She leaned on her arm, looking bored as Jen froze. "That's a yes." She sighed. "He's only partially accurate. I had a pretty bad couple years between high school and freshman year of college. It was me rebelling from my father and lack of mother in the most stereotypical way imaginable." She absently traced her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. "Sophomore year my friend was with this guy, he was charming, I mean ridiculously charismatic." A frown formed on her face. "She was my roommate, and when he graduated and moved to NY, she pined. But it was worse when he dumped her via e-mail, telling her he was getting married to an Upper East End girl." Jen was silent. "She was heartbroken, ended up dropping out and moving home after the semester."

"He treats me well." Jen said suddenly in reference to Alex. "Or he did until lately." Her face fell. "I'm just not sure anymore."

"Screw boys, who needs them?" Rachael took a long draft of her coffee and signaled for another cup.

"They're confusing." Jen agreed with a nod staring at Rachael's cup. "Can I have one?" She asked the waitress who nodded and got her a ceramic mug. Rachael grinned as Jen took a drink of the black liquid. "I feel bad about Bronwyn." Jen blurted the words out, still frowning.

"I'm entirely sure she doesn't blame you." Rachael reasoned. "You can't help who your father is."

"It's hard."

"Imagine how hard it was for Wes to give up drinking." Rachael got a frown for her comment. "'Old habits die hard' isn't just a saying. He made a decision and worked his way out."

"I can't believe it was a problem." Jen whispered.

"He hides things well." Rachael shrugged. "You learn to when your father puts you on show days after burying your mother."

"That's horrible."

"It was." Rachael's hands grasped her mug for dear life, a nervous habit Jen realized. "I loved my parents, but that was the first time I doubted he loved us."

'I'm sure he did." Jen frowned. At his worst, her father had made sure she was at least taken care of. He'd even tried to make her and Bronwyn friends, or actual sisters.

"On some level I'm sure he does." Rachael shrugged. "He never shows it. There were times in my life I felt like a doll rather than a person." Jen was unsure how to respond, and was saved by the waitress bringing two plates filled with sausage gravy poured over biscuits. One bite was heaven, and it didn't take long before she'd cleaned her plate.

"Thank you." Jen said as Rachael paid.

"Thank my Dad." Rachael grinned and stood. They drove back to the clocktower and said their good-byes. As soon as she got inside she came face to face with a very confused Wes.

"What were you doing with my sister?" Panic was the primary emotion on his face.

"She was telling me hilarious stories about you as a kid." Jen smiled brightly and moved past him and up the stairs. Wes followed her closely.

"God no, what'd she say?" Wes followed her close, but she didn't answer, choosing to let him suffer. "She didn't show you the baby pictures did she?"

"No," Jen giggled, "but now I'm going to ask her."

"Damnit." Wes swore, knowing he'd just made a mistake. "Seriously."

"We just talked, she bought breakfast." Jen shrugged. "We didn't really talk about you."

"Oh." Wes stopped following her around the apartment.

"You're in a good mood." Katie commented as Jen entered.

"I am." Jen grinned. "You should come next time."

"Oo, girl time." Katie did a little dance. "Is Rachael nice? All I saw was her yelling at Wes."

Ignoring Wes' frown, Jen nodded. "Nicer than her brother." Katie laughed as the boys shook their heads. Jen making jokes was new, and quite hilarious ones at that.

Rachael drove from the clocktower to her father's house, sighing as she went in the door. It was Mrs. Bailey's one day off per week, so, except for the three men mowing the lawn, the house should be empty. Humming, Rachael threw her keys on the table and headed for the rooms her mother had most often occupied during her life. It hadn't changed too much in eleven years, but enough that things had moved. It was slightly awkward to be searching through her father's room, but it was just an average room occupied by a man, but perfectly cleaned by a service. Frustrated she started going through random drawers and cabinets in the rest of the house, not finding a single personal thing, let alone what she was looking for.

"Rachael?" Alan saw his daughter standing in the living room, absently staring at the wall.

"Hey Dad." She turned and smiled. "Why aren't you at work?" Alan shrugged and moved forward, dressed in only his dress shirt, both tie and jacket missing.

"I was working upstairs. Come, I want to give you something." He took her arm and led her up the main flight of stairs and into his office. Rachael tried not to shudder in this hated room.

"Did you love her?" The question escaped her before she could stop herself. Alan froze and stared at his daughter blankly, trying to figure out where her question had come from.

"Very much." Alan sat heavily on the couch in the corner. Rachael sat tentatively next to him, hands folded in her lap. "Your mother was my sanity, she was everything. So much energy, so much life and she loved _me_." A smile grew on his face. "Me and my love of business and turning a profit."

"You never cried." Rachael's voice was weak, the memories of a small child clouding the intelligent woman.

"I cried for hours." Alan took her hand. "Her death shocked me, I couldn't handle it. Spent a few days in bed before I would see you again. That stupid party." He buried his face in his hands. "I barely held it together through that night, I wanted to take you and your brother out of there."

"I thought you didn't care." Rachael's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Oh love." Alan pulled her into his arms, letting her cry quietly against his chest.

"All I wanted was you." She sniffed. "We needed you. We still need you."

"I'm sorry." Alan let the tears flow as he held the woman who looked like his wife tightly. Rachael and Irene were eerily similar, straight black hair and glittering green eyes. Both strong, fantastic women with a strange affinity for the French language.

"I ruined your shirt." Rachael laughed through her tears.

"I have other shirts." Alan held her tighter. "You're my only daughter."

"I love you." Rachael whispered.

"I love you so much." Alan rubbed her arms. "I know I messed up."

"To be fair, you were on your own." Rachael sat up and wiped her eyes. A knock sounded on the door before a young man around Rachael's age stuck his head in the door.

"Sir?" He looked confused, but then, how often did one find their boss holding a sobbing girl?

"Dwight." Alan checked his watch and frowned.

"I'll go." Rachael offered and stood up.

"Go freshen up, I'll only be a minute. We'll have lunch." Alan checked his watch again, getting a smile from her as she slipped past his new assistant. "I apologize." Alan adjusted his now stained shirt and dried his face. "That was my daughter."

"Rachael." Dwight replied eagerly. Alan stared at him and nodded. The kid was too well researched for his own good sometimes.

Downstairs, Rachael quietly pulled things from the fridge and began to cook up lunch for her father. It was a strange feeling, but a welcome one. The scent of alfredo pasta greeted Alan as he entered the kitchen, stunned to see his daughter cooking. He stood in the doorway for a minute, grieving for the years of knowing his children that he'd lost.

"That smells heavenly." He complimented, receiving a smile for his efforts.

"It became a hobby at school." Rachael explained as she stirred the white sauce.

"Didn't go out much?" Alan frowned when she laughed.

"Sad but true, at least toward the end there." Rachael added angel hair pasta to a pot of boiling water as they talked.

"The end?"

Caught, Rachael winced. "I technically graduated in August." She admitted. "I've been substitute teaching in Boston."

"You graduated a year early?" He'd known his daughter was smart, but he didn't realize she was that smart, or motivated to get out of college a full year before she was supposed to.

"Yeah, I liked school, and summer classes were quiet." She watched what she was doing.

"I'm impressed." Alan admitted as he seated himself at a black stool pushed up against the counter. Rachael couldn't contain the happiness as she pulled out some French bread and stuck it in the toaster. After determining it was ready, she drained the water and poured the sauce into the pan before serving it up on two white plates, adding the garlic bread to finish it off. One bite and he was sold. "This is delicious, who taught you to cook?"

"I did." Rachael tasted hers and frowned. "Needs salt." She tapped a few grains onto it and tasted it again, this time approving of it. She snuck a little onto her father's plate, getting a frown, but then a nod of agreement. "What have you been planning lately? Any corporate takeovers?"

"Nothing exciting." Alan shook his head as he devoured the plate of pasta his daughter had created for him. "The Silver Guardians will be changing soon."

"What kind of changes?" Rachael knit her eyebrows, concerned for Eric's job.

"Minor ones." He nodded. "They'll be good for the organization. Get Eric a bigger office." He frowned. "I didn't realize that was literally an old supply closet."

"Wow." Rachael's eyebrows disappeared under her bangs. "That doesn't sound productive. I mean the man's working for a police type company, you should at least make the time he does have to spend there worthwhile."

"Are you sure you didn't get the business gene?" Alan narrowed his eyes at his daughter, enjoying the sound of her laughter.

"It's basic economics Dad." She absently brushed her bangs to the other side of her face. They finished their food and Rachael started loading the dishes into the machine while her father stepped out. He came back holding a mahogany box with glass pieces making up the lid.

"This was one of the first gifts I could afford to give your mother." He smiled and opened the top lid. "I want you to have her jewelry." He smiled as Rachael breathlessly accepted the box. It was small, and the pieces inside it didn't cost much at all, but they were the sentimental ones.

"Wes and I made these!" Rachael laughed, eyes threatening to spill tears again as she pulled out a pair of bracelets that were made of string and plastic beads. "She wore them so much."

"She loved you two so much." Alan watched Rachael sort through the jewelry before replacing the lid and looking up.

"Thank you." She moved forward and hugged her father, holding him tightly as his assistant interrupted them for the second time.

"Oh I'm sorry." Dwight flashed Rachael a smile and the girl blinked in surprise.

"I have to go shopping anyway." Rachael didn't return the smile, but hugged her father again. "Thank you again." She smiled as he kissed her forehead. "I'll see you later." She went out the opposite door from where Dwight was standing and escaped the house, going over to Eric's and stowed her mother's jewelry safely in one of the drawers Eric had cleaned for her. Nearly giddy with joy, she stared pinning paint samples to the walls, changing the light to see the changes. Satisfied with her choices she went to the hardware store ad picked up gallons of paint, stowing them in Eric's garage. Curious as to what was in the dozens of cardboard boxes, she selected one and peeked in, gasping at what she saw.

Linens. Hand sewn linens in all colors and patterns were layered carefully in the box, lace lay protectively between them, and photographs between those. The glass frames were being protected by the lace, and Rachael smiled at the one she found. It had to have been Eric's family, his father had the same strong chin and dark hair, his mother contributed his eyes easily. A girl Rachael assumed was Grace looked like their mother, and definitely ten years older than the little boy in his mother's arms. He was precious dressed in a little suit, a happy look on his face.

"What's that?" The picture was snatched from her hands and Eric looked at it, still dressed for work. His face softened from a frown to a sad look. "I thought Grace took all the pictures." He murmured.

"I was just curious." Rachael waved her hand toward the boxes. Eric nodded.

"They're from my mother's house. We had to put her in an assisted living place five months ago. Cancer."

"I'm so sorry."

"My father died when I was sixteen. Grace did her best to keep me in school, but I wouldn't have it." Eric explained, taking her hand and leading her into the house. "He was a Police Lieutenant, got shot on the job. My mother kept it together for so long, but she just couldn't move around the house anymore." He set the photo on the shelving built into the wall. "I go see her when I can."

"When's that?"

"Usually on my Sunday off." Eric shrugged and leaned in, hoping to kill the uncomfortable conversation. Lucky for him, Rachael was very willing to lose herself in kissing him after the stressful day she'd had.

"When are those?" Her curiosity wasn't placated by his best efforts.

"Every other week. I get opposite Wednesdays too." He stripped his shirt off as she watched appreciatively. "Want to do something tomorrow?" The smile she gave him made every bone in his body suspicious. "What?"

"Nothing." Rachael slid her arms under his, hoping to distract him by kissing his neck. Figuring he'd pay for this tomorrow, Eric swept her into his arms and took a few steps into his bedroom and lay her down on the bed, tearing her clothes from her as she grappled at his. She turned the tables and pinned him down on the bed, positioning herself over him, eyes dark as she drove him crazy again.

He wrapped his arms around her waist when she collapsed on his chest, their breathing returning to normal slowly. Her head moved, turning to kiss his chest, then moved forward and kissed his chin before tucking her head against his. "Hungry?" Eric asked, sitting up with her in his arms.

"Starving." Rachael admitted, letting the sheet fall away.

"You should keep that on, or we're never going to eat." He muttered, looking down to get an eyeful.

"I'm sure we'll surface eventually." Rachael tilted his head back up to put their faces on the same level. She kissed his nose and forehead gently before twisting out of his grip and off the bed. She stretched out, turning to look for clothes to put on, feeling Eric watch her. Once she had underwear on he went for the shower, cleaning off the grime of the day before finding her standing in the kitchen, eyes blankly staring at the wall.

"Want to go to O'Reilly's?" Eric asked, startling her from her reverie.

"Hmm? Oh sure." She nodded and grabbed a sweatshirt from the closet, ducking as Eric reached over her head to get his jacket. They shut off the lights together, and Eric locked the house before they started the short walk to the bar. As soon as they'd left the driveway he reached over and took her hand, a strangely simple gesture that nearly stopped her heart. The dim light of the neon sign outside of the bar lit their faces before they ducked inside, Eric holding the door for them.

"Eric!" Killian O'Reilly was a big man, a big Irish man with the thickest bur known to man. "And Miss Collins, what a pair." He grinned as the pair sat at the bar, caught. "Yer father is the reason I have this here fine establishment. Gave me the loan I needed to get started, been here ten years now."

"You've done well for yourself." Rachael smiled and ordered a beer. Killian brought two and set them in front of the two.

"I've done me best. Darn boy took off tonight leaving me by meself, the two of you want food?" Killian puffed up his chest.

"Two dozen mild." Eric ordered, getting a nod of agreement from Rachael. Killian laughed and handed her the remote before disappearing into the back. It only took a few seconds for Rachael to find the Penguin game, having just started.

"So how was your day?" She asked without taking her eyes off of the television.

"Lucas went out with Nadira." Eric enjoyed the shock on her face, and how she nearly choked on the beer she was drinking. Eric launched into what he knew of the story, sending Rachael into near hysterics, and chuckling himself. The bar was vacant save for the two of them, so they didn't bother to be quiet as they started telling stories, amusing stories from their lives, including embarrassing stories Eric could use to haunt Wes for the rest of his life. Killian brought the wings and grinned when the two devoured them in a few minutes, ordering more to satiate their hunger. Not to mention the copious amounts of beer both consumed by the end of the night. They stumbled back to the house, passing out in each other's arms.


	6. Chapter 6

Across town Jen sat in front of the holographic computer, staring at the empty screen. It wasn't even turned on. But that didn't help her erratic heartbeat. Neither did reaching forward and flicking it on.

"Hello? Jen." Bronwyn went from curious to pasty white in a flash. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Jen sat stiffly in the chair. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About?" Suspicious, Bronwyn leaned forward.

"I talked to Rachael this morning. I wanted to know how you felt." Jen whispered.

"Felt about what, about Dad?" Bronwyn leaned back in her chair and absently touched the hair on the back of her head. "I'm mad at him. I hate what he did to us, I hate what he did to your mom, what he did to mine, what he did to all the other women he ever met." Her voice soured as her temper soared. "What do you want me to say? Do you want me to apologize for being born? For existing? I can't do that."

"I wouldn't ask you to." Jen snapped. "I wanted a sister. I wanted to meet you, I was excited. I told my mother and she slapped me so hard I saw stars. I loved my mother, I didn't want to hurt her, it was easier to hate you as much as she did."

"I can't blame you for that." Bronwyn sighed. "But you're not a child anymore. Neither am I."

"I'm sorry, but I can't change overnight." Jen put her head in her hands. "But I am sorry."

"I wanted a sister too." Bronwyn's voice cracked and she wiped her face. "I wrote you letters. All kinds of letters, and I wanted to send them so bad, but we couldn't." Jen wiped at the tears running down her face.

"It isn't too late."

"No." Bronwyn agreed, wiping her own tears. "When you come back here, you should move in with me." A grin slid on her face.

"You mean make it harder for Alex to come over?" Jen laughed. "I think I would like a roommate."

"Good, you've got one." Bronwyn laughed. "Don't tell Rachael though, she'll get all egotistical about making us talk." She blew her nose and threw a tissue off screen.

"I like her." Jen leaned back.

"She's charismatic alright." A sour tone invaded Bronwyn's voice. "Collins charm. Don't be deceived, Wes has a healthy dose of it. He did manage to get you to give him the red morpher." She pointed out and Jen raised her eyebrows half amused.

"True." She nodded.

"Want to talk about it?" Bronwyn grinned. Jen looked around the room quickly, ensuring no one was around before answering.

"I'm just confused. Alex is a great guy, but I just don't see myself with him."

"Do you see yourself with Wes?"

"I can see it, but I know it isn't possible." Jen shook her head in dismay. "I should just stop considering it." Frustrated, she looked up at her sister. "Care to tell me what happened with Lucas?"

"Yes." Resigned, Bronwyn sighed. "We were good, things were ok, but we were always working separately, and when we were together all he wanted to do was race, or work on that stupid car. I got sick of it, every single time I tried to talk to him he was stubborn and promised things would change. A week or two before Ransik escaped I broke up with him; we were supposed to meet after you guys made the change off to talk. He thinks I left him for my ex, who I happened to work with more."

"Dalton, right?" Jen frowned. "I don't like that guy, too quiet."

"I thought he was the sweet, and quiet nerdy type, turns out he's the creepy type." Bronwyn shook her head. "Groped me from the start."

"Wow, and Lucas thinks you went back to that?"

"Love makes you blind I suppose." Bronwyn shrugged her shoulders as she leaned over onto her desk.

"Do you love him?" Jen's voice was quiet. Bronwyn thought for a moment before nodding slowly.

"I wish I didn't sometimes, it hurts so much. But other times I have hope. Hope that when he comes back we can talk, hope that he'll be reasonable and be willing to work on things." Bronwyn played with her short bangs. "I can't help it."

"I'm glad you're not afraid of love." Jen twisted her engagement ring around her finger over and over. "My mother was so bitter after Dad left her, she tried to make me hate men, but I just couldn't. And meeting Alex was great. He was so nice then."

"He's an ass." Bronwyn threw her hands up at the glare Jen gave her. "Stating facts, he's a jerk. As soon as he came back from his injury leave, he was the 'boss man', and not the cool boss, the one everyone hates and talks about behind his back." She winced at her slip.

"They're talking about me? They can't know anything!" Jen reasoned, but Bronwyn laughed.

"We're human Jen; gossip is as natural as breathing. I'll corner him when you guys come back." She resigned herself, pulling a computer close to her and writing on it with a stylus.

"If we come back." Jen sighed. "It gets harder and harder to believe I'm coming home someday."

"You will." Bronwyn nodded. "If you didn't, the world would be a very different place for me." She looked up, gray eyes meeting Jen's brown. "You have to believe you'll succeed. If you of all people lose hope, there isn't much left."

"Me of all people?"

"You hold that team together." Bronwyn laughed. "Can't you see that?" Jen didn't answer, lost in thoughts of her team. Bronwyn watched her think for a moment before laughing lightly.

"Don't tell him, but I knew about Lucas' car poetry." She giggled when Jen laughed. "To be fair he did write me one too, but it used a lot of car metaphors. He's so clueless, it's adorable." She sighed and shook her head. "You'll want to get to bed after a long day." She tiled her head, trying not to yawn.

Jen nodded, "You too Princess."

"Don't you start on that nickname now." Bronwyn scowled, but she couldn't help but smile. "I'll talk to you later. Bye." She cut the com before Jen could answer, and the pink ranger leaned back in her chair, happy for the first time in a while. It was the first step of many that would bring her and Bronwyn together. Finally sisters.

The morning sun cut into his room, but he didn't move today. Today he didn't have to be at work; today he could stay in bed for hours with her. Eric rolled over to see her lying face down in his bed, her body completely visible with the sheet tangled on the floor. The bed had fallen apart sometime in the middle of the night, he didn't really care when. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, despite how it was covered with her hair falling over her head. She didn't move. Rachael slept like a rock when she wanted to. It took a few minutes before he got up and wandered into the kitchen, making coffee. He stood absently while he waited for the coffee to brew. Two cups poured, he brought one into the bedroom and set it next to where she was still sleeping.

"Rachael." He whispered her name, getting no response from her. He tried again a few times, getting only a mumble and her turning over, grasping for a covering, and, finding none, finally sitting up. It was at that moment, with her hair messy and falling over her face as she looked at him in bewilderment, that he felt his heart take the final leap and plunged. Swallowing the new sensation he silently held the cup to her, already having added the necessary creamer. She accepted it and drank, an almost blissful look appearing on her face.

"What time is it?"

"After eight." Eric replied, trying to contain himself.

"Oh." She frowned. "Ok."

"Do you want breakfast?"

"Are you offering to cook?" Rachael narrowed her eyes as she took another sip of coffee.

"Maybe." Eric stood and went for the kitchen, unable to converse with her at this particular moment. He opened the fridge and stared at its insides. It was full. There were cans of paint in his garage, her things were in his dresser, a photo of her family sat on the bedstand on the far side of the room that had not only Wes in it, but her father, his boss. Sure she'd moved it so it faced away from the bed, but he'd still seen it. There was only one thing to conclude from this girl that had taken over his life so cleanly. He was in love with her.

He went through the motions of creating a feasible breakfast, not really aware of what he was making until he had to pay attention to how much pancake batter he poured onto the skillet. Rachael came into the kitchen and poured herself a second cup of coffee, yawning before pulling her hair up into a ponytail. She wore a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt with a random company logo on it, simple clothes. But her little quirks, like the toe ring on her right foot, or the small charm necklace she always had around her neck kept her feminine. "Pancakes." She leaned over and inhaled.

"Family recipe." Eric grinned. "What did you want to do today, you never really answered me last night." Rachael sat at the table with her coffee and was quiet for a moment.

"I was going to start painting." She looked at the yellow walls. "Then have dinner with the rangers, you should come."

"No." Eric didn't even bother to shake his head as he served her a plate.

"Come on." She frowned, knitting her eyebrows together. "They don't hate you, you're just stubborn." She stood up and moved so that he was stuck between her and the refrigerator. "All you have to do is go there, eat, and pretend you don't hate everything."

"I don't hate everything." Eric defended himself and kissed her. "Eat your pancakes, they'll get cold."

"This isn't over." Rachael retreated to her seat, pouring the syrup on her breakfast and starting to eat as Eric made his own. "Good heavens this is good, what's in it?"

"Family secret, I'd have to kill you." Eric worded the threat in a way that Rachael raised her eyebrows.

"In my family, that's an actual fact." She grinned as he looked over curiously. "Corporate takeovers don't really apply to the whole 'blood is thicker than water' deal. My Dad bought out his brother's company a few years ago, but he let him stay on as CEO." She shrugged. "He's kind of a jerk though."

"Somehow I don't see how that makes up for it." Eric sat next to her, curious as to how her morals could be warped so easily when it came to that kind of thing.

"The company would have failed if my Dad didn't take over it." Rachael explained. "Uncle Baxter, yes that's his real name, would have lost everything if it had folded. He didn't know my Dad bought it until a few years later, and he was pretty pissed."

"I can't imagine why."

"Sarcasm is your primary form of communication isn't it?" Rachael tweaked an eyebrow as she took the last bite of her pancakes.

"It's true, which room did you want to start with?" His tactics at distracting her worked well; soon they were laying out drop clothes and things to prepare the room for the onslaught of paint. Rachael turned the radio on, and after a momentary standoff about which station, they settled into a groove, her taping every corner and window while he began painting the larger parts, moving to the edging as Rachael directed him. The room slowly transformed from the sick yellow color to a creamy beige, not quite white. They kept working and painted the bedroom a shade of deep burgundy, hiding the pale blue.

"I like." Rachael stood with her hands on her hips and surveyed the two rooms from the tiny hallway. "Do you?"

"It looks much better." Eric agreed. "But now it smells."

"Paint dries." Rachael laughed and leaned into his arms. "Now I need to go shopping again." She said absently.

"Who's paying for this?" Eric frowned, hoping that her answer would not have anything to do with her father.

"I am." Rachael looked up. "I figure, you're paying the mortgage right now, I'll pay for things like improvements, groceries, little things."

"But who pays you?" Eric pressed.

"Don't worry, Dad isn't paying for anything." Rachael pinpointed exactly what he meant. "Time Force pays me a salary for what I do for them." She kissed his chin, making him lean down to properly kiss her. "Now." Her eyes glittered with mischief. "You are going to shower, and we are going have dinner with the rangers." She pushed him for the bathroom, but he grabbed onto her, not letting her go.

"One condition." He grabbed her waist and crushed her mouth against his, tearing the tie from her hair and grabbing the back of her head. She was surprised at first, but melded into him. Her willingness only aroused him more, and patience to get back to the bedroom was gone.

"Feel better?" Rachael asked breathless on the floor next to him.

"Much." He rolled over and covered her body with his, enjoying her laughter underneath him as he began kissing her neck.

"You're not getting out of this." Rachael's voice sounded strained, as if she was trying not to enjoy how good it felt. "No amount of sex in the world is going to distract me from this."

"None?" Eric nipped at her ear, feeling her arms jerk.

"None." Rachael hissed through her teeth, eyes closed.

"I don't believe you." He murmured continuing to tease and taunt her body, pinning her arms down.

"I can walk away much easier than you can." Her eyes opened and bored right into his. "Don't test me." They stared at one another for a few long seconds before he released his hold on her. Sweatier than they had gotten painting, they took alternating showers before Rachael packed up a load of food to take over to their friends.

The huge clocktower was empty when they arrived, and Rachael immediately started cooking, creating smells that Eric was completely in awe of. This woman had talent. The woman he was in love with. He studied her relaxed face as she cut things and stirred others and put something in the oven. Laughter preceded the rangers up the stairs and Eric braced himself to face Wes.

"What is that smell?" Katie ran toward the kitchen, seeing the two people there and stopping, mouth open with the question she didn't want to ask.

"Hey Katie." Rachael greeted her warmly, glancing up from her work. "I figured we needed team bonding, and yes that includes you." She snapped to Eric who was leaning on the picnic table making sarcastic noises.

"Yeah." Wes went up and unsmiling clapped his hand on Eric's shoulder. "Stay a while."

"Stop acting like an animal, Wes." Rachael scolded without a frown or looking up. "Grow up." She ducked down to inspect the oven.

"What?" Trip looked confused between the three of them. Eric looked as though he was bored and embarrassed, Wes looked angry and Rachael wasn't paying attention.

"Rachael's with Eric and Wes is pissed." Lucas guessed with a grin and went over to the dark haired girl. "Him? Really?" He leaned next to her, his best flirtatious grin proudly on his face.

"Really." Rachael grinned and threw a piece of lettuce at his face. Lucas caught it in bewilderment as she swept past him, handing silverware and napkins to Jen. "Thanks." She said without asking the question.

"Did she pay you to come?" Wes sighed.

"She made my house unlivable, I didn't have a choice." Eric replied.

"Ha." Rachael snorted as she pulled the pan of cornbread out of the oven. "You mean I made it look less like someone threw up on the walls." Eric shrugged, getting an eye roll. "Katie, do you have bowls?"

"Mostly used for cereal." She pulled them out and gave them to her. Rachael ladled a good sized portion of chili into each, adding a small pinch of cheese and a dollop of sour cream before releasing them to the others with a piece of cornbread. The rangers devoured every last bite of the chili and cornbread, Lucas and Eric having a staring contest for the last piece of bread until Rachael picked it up and handed it to Tripp unceremoniously. The two scowled but Eric's softened when Rachael planted a kiss on his forehead. Wes didn't look thrilled at the interaction between the Quantum Ranger and his sister, but he wasn't commenting, preferring to glare at them. Except when Eric and Lucas began arguing the finer points of the zords, when he had to join in and defend their Time Fliers.

"Boys do the dishes." Rachael announced before falling onto the couch. All four of them stared before Jen sat next to her.

"What are you waiting for?" She grinned and looked to Rachael who looked just as mischievous as the pink ranger. Slowly the boys started clearing the table and cleaning while Katie joined the other two girls in the sitting area.

"Please tell me how you learned to manipulate men like that." Katie pleaded with a laugh as she leaned into Rachael.

"Men are easy." She waved her hand. "It's the women I can't figure out." She rolled her eyes. "Like I cannot for the life of me figure out where my mother put her traveler."

"Where have you looked?" Jen asked with a frown. She knew about the travelers and their abilities, but not that Irene Renard had owned one. The story of Irene and her murder had sent shockwaves through her as a young officer, only making her more determined to be good enough to work with the Lieutenant program. Preferably in the position Bronwyn currently held. Surprisingly she didn't have any type of resentment toward her sister for that fact. They had their jobs.

"The basement of the Silver Guardian headquarters where Dad stored a lot of our stuff, including our baby books." She shouted the last words over to her brother who grinned.

"Be glad I don't have that with me."

"Likewise bud." Rachael grinned before turning back to her original conversation. "I checked out the mansion yesterday, only thing I got there was a meaningful conversation with my Dad."

"Did you look today?" Katie asked. "Maybe you missed something."

"No, we painted all day." Rachael closed her eyes and leaned back. "I had to miss something because I can't find it. It has to be somewhere." She muttered darkly. "Where would a mother hide something she didn't want her husband or children to find?"

Katie laughed. "My mother kept her jewelry box hidden in the back of the closet, but that never stopped us from finding it." Rachael laughed but a thought crossed her mind. The jewelry box her father had given her the other day. She didn't remember seeing it before, only the few things inside. Jen watched the wheels turn in her head.

"Got an idea?" She asked quietly.

"My mother's jewelry box." Rachael sat up as the four boys came over. She looked up at Eric with a frown on her face. "I have to look."

"Let's go then." Eric stepped back.

"I'm sorry to leave." Rachael stood and hugged her brother.

"It's important." Wes grinned. "Let us know."

"I will." Rachael promised and ran down the stairs, Eric on her heels. They got into his SUV, unaware they were watched from the top of the tower by an unhappy, but defeated red ranger. The short trip to the other side of town was silent, Rachael praying she was right, and Eric hoping she wouldn't be disappointed. She barely waited for him to stop the car before she was out and into the house. Eric made it to the kitchen as she brought in an old small jewelry box. She locked eyes with Eric for a moment before lifting the lid. Carefully, she removed every piece of jewelry and laid it on the table.

Eric watched her work methodically, with purpose, not saying a word about the random pieces that didn't fit in with the gold and silver. Once it was empty Rachael frowned, but examined the box, she reached in and pulled out a section of the velvet covered trays and set it on the table with the jewelry. "Oh thank God." She leaned back and covered her face, fighting the tears. After a minute she reached in and pulled out the small black and silver object, going for the power button. Instead of turning on it notified her that it was completely dead before shutting down the final part of its functioning. She looked up at Eric, eyes glittering with tears. "I got it."

"You did." Eric nodded and took her hand over the table, surprised to feel her shaking.

"I have to tell Bronwyn and Wes." Rachael stood and went for the bedroom to get the computer, but stopped, standing still and swaying for a moment. Eric had his arms around her in a moment, steadying her for a moment before she pressed her face into his chest and let the tears fall from her face. "I'm sorry." She murmured after a minute, feeling incredibly placated by Eric's hand rubbing up and down her back.

"Don't be sorry." Eric admonished her, smiling as she looked up at him. "It's emotional, go get the computer, I'll tell Wes." Rachael nodded and stepped out of his arms, wiping her eyes as she left the room. Eric grabbed his morpher and turned it to the communication in a second.

"Wes."

"What is it?" The red ranger's reply was immediate, and concerned.

"She found it. It was in a jewelry box." Eric's eyes swept the table covered in inexpensive necklaces and bracelets.

"Good." Wes breathed out in obvious relief. "Anything on it?"

"It's dead, she has to charge it."

"Why isn't she telling me?"

"She's not up to it." Eric said carefully. Wes seemed to understand the meaning and ended the conversation with an awkward good night. Rachael emerged with the yellow case and set it on the floor, carefully placing all of the jewelry back in the box and placing it on top of the dresser with her own. Eric had opened the case before she came out and was examining the computer in its foam protection.

"Here." Rachael showed him how to set it up, and turned it on. It didn't take long before Bronwyn was on screen.

"Hello Eric." She greeted with a nod then frowned at Rachael's tear streaked face. "What happened?" Her voice was filled with concern.

"I found it." Rachael laughed and leaned her head on Eric's shoulder. "I can't handle this much emotion in a week." She muttered.

"Sorry." Bronwyn frowned. "I don't think it'll last. Get anything from the traveler?"

"It's been on for thirty years Bronwyn, surprisingly the battery died." Rachael said the words slowly, as if she was trying to be patient. Bronwyn rolled her eyes.

"Your traveler's charger will work on it." She informed. "Let it charge over night and let me know what you find tomorrow."

"Will do." Rachael sighed and cut the com.

"That was rude." Eric frowned and looked to her.

"That's how we roll." Rachael grinned and pulled his head to hers. He pulled his head away and looked at the computer.

"Should we put it away?"

"Nah, I'll use it tomorrow." She sighed and yawned, glancing at the clock. It was barely 9 and she was exhausted.

"Come on." Eric stood and scooped her up, getting a laugh as her arms wrapped around his neck. He carried her to the bedroom and lay her down on it, going to the dresser and threw a pair of her own sweatpants and one of his shirts to her. Curious, Rachael obediently put the clothes on as he put on a pair of sweats without a shirt and climbed into the bed, gathering her up in his arms. It was a different way to sleep, but a welcome one. Rachael snuggled into him, drifting off easily. Eric wasn't as lucky, but he stuck with his choice, holding her against him as she slept, eventually getting to sleep himself, and waking up immediately before the alarm.


	7. Chapter 7

She was still there, tucked safely against him, completely oblivious to the world. He kissed her on the forehead and went on with his daily routine, thoughts still very much in bed with the girl resting peacefully there. After showering he dressed next to her, amused that she was still completely unconscious. He kissed her again, this time getting her to stir.

"I'll see you tonight." He tried not to laugh as he said the words and left for work. She slept for another hour, and woke with a frown at the empty bed, vaguely remembering him leaving. Mind clouded with sleep, she stumbled to the kitchen and poured some coffee, thankful he'd made it so strong. The phone rang; nearly startling her and she stared at it. Technically she lived here now, but if it was Grace, or his mother, she had no idea what to say. Setting down her mug she lifted the receiver.

"Hello?"

"I was wondering if you were awake." Eric sounded amused through the phone.

"No thanks to you." Rachael grinned, hopping up on the counter with the phone glued to her ear. "Though the consistent availability of coffee is why I stay."

"Is that it? I was wondering."

"But that does bring up a point; does Grace know I live here?"

"Does it matter?"

"When the phone rang I was scared it was her, or your mother." Rachael admitted.

"They don't call; they know I work, so I call them." Eric didn't seem bothered by it at all. "And it isn't like your Dad knows."

"Your mother isn't my boss." Rachael pointed out. "Whatever, I don't want to argue right now." She wiped her eyes as she yawned. "I'm going to start working now; I'll talk to you later."

"Sure." Eric agreed. "See you tonight."

"Later." Rachael hung up with a sigh and glanced to the old traveler sitting next to the computer. Running a hand through her hair, she woke the computer up from its sleep mode and began to input the information from the traveler. The files loaded slowly, giving her enough time to shower and come back with a towel wrapped around her hair and her coffee to finish what she was doing. She hummed until it was time to read the files, and settled into a position to read them rapidly.

They started harmless, small tasks Irene had completed, documented and filed away, small details of her life, including the two years of maternity leave she was granted in the middle of her service. Seeing her and Wes' names amongst the bad guys was amusing, but the years after they were born her duties slowed down, almost halting. Soon she got into the gritty stuff, suspicion for someone close to her, which she didn't name for the first part of the files. Rachael kept reading, not noticing when Bronwyn opened a file sharing connection and started reading the files, probably an hour behind her.

_I'm not sure what's going on, but I have an awful feeling about him. I feel as though I should know who he is, but I can't be sure. It's as if I've met him, or someone very much like him, before. Then again, I could just be thinking about someone Alan's worked with before, or one of my children's friend's parents. I feel like I'm being irrationally paranoid, but I can't shake it. I'll need to keep a close eye on him._

Rachael tried to keep herself from shaking as she read the last entry, which was dated three days before her death.

_I need to get this information to Time Force as fast as possible, I was right, he's a mutant escaped from the future. I knew he was a part of the Vakor Family Mafia. I should've recognized the tattoo on his wrist faster; I can't believe I missed it. I feel ill, but Time Force should check in by tomorrow and then they can arrest him. Batuir Vakor is masquerading in our time as an Irishman by the name of Killian O'Reilly._

Rachael stopped reading and stood up so fast the chair fell underneath her and crashed to the floor. She'd known Killian her whole life; the man had come to her mother's funeral. Bastard. Furious, she ran to the bedroom and dressed as fast as she could, blinded with rage she had no idea what she was putting on, and ran the half mile to the bar. Taking a few deep breaths she tried to cleanse the emotion from her face before she stepped into the empty building.

"Hey." Brennan greeted her with a suave smile. "What brings you in here so early, meeting the boyfriend for a noon drink?"

"Not today." Rachael smiled and sat at the bar.

"Come to see me?" He leaned on the bar in front of her, putting his face inches from hers.

"In your dreams." Rachael tried to keep her tone teasing, but her heart was beating erratically.

"Trust me, I do dream about you." Brennan's voice changed from flirtatious to scary. She tried to lean back, but he pinned her wrist on the counter. "Don't bother." He snarled as fear worked into her eyes. "Father warned me you'd be coming soon." He leapt over the bar and tackled her on the floor. Rachael struggled, but his strength was not human, unable to protest as he tied her hands. "You won't be needing these." He took her traveler and morpher, and dropped them on the bar.

"You son of a bitch." Rachael struggled against his grasp, but he easily overpowered her and carried her through the corner door and down a set of dark, damp stairs. He dumped her in a chair and tied her to it, leaving her completely unable to move. "You plan on just leaving me here?" She snapped. Brennan leaned forward and put his face inches from hers.

"Of course not, love." He grinned and touched her cheek, smiling when she tried to writhe away. "When my father comes back he'll decide what happens to you." He grabbed her face and directed her eyes to his. "I've watched you since you were a teenager." He murmured, moving closer. "I can't resist." He touched his lips to hers gently, smiling and pushing harder when she tried to back away and close her lips. Rachael pulled her leg back and kicked as hard as she could. Brennan swore and released her, backing up limping. "You bitch." He slapped her across the face, but her eyes glittered a satisfied green. "Fine, rot down here." He nursed his shin for a moment before sprinting up the stairs and slamming the door shut with a definite click.

Eric practically broke every law getting home, speeding the whole way. After the day he'd had, he needed Rachael. Not just physically, though that was nice, he needed her calming presence, he needed her. God he loved her. The thought put his foot closer to the floor. He may not be ready to tell her that he loved her, but he still needed to be with her. Stopping a bomb, battling with Serpicon, it was all ridiculous, and stressful, and he needed her. Pleased to see her car in his driveway, he went in and searched the entire house top to bottom for her, but found nothing. Frowning, he looked at the computer and pressed a button to see if it was on. Several things popped up, including Bronwyn.

"Eric, where is she? I can't reach her morpher or traveler." Panic filled the blonde's voice and face.

"I don't know, she's not here but her car is. What happened?" Eric sat down to get a better view, despite feeling like he wanted to punch a wall.

"Her mother's files had a name in it, she read it and left, I didn't know until she was gone. Eric she's gone after whoever killed her mother. He's there, in 2001. I knew the fugitive's name, but I don't recognize the alias." Bronwyn pulled up the file. "It's a, Killian O'Reilly?"

"Shit." Eric stood and went for the door, leaving Bronwyn still confused. Petrified, she closed her com to that computer and went for the rangers who were relaxing together after their long day.

"Guys!" Bronwyn shouted to get their attention and Jen was there in a second.

"Bronwyn…"

"No time, Rachael figured out who killed your mother." Her eyes moved to Wes as he joined Jen with the other rangers. "Eric's gone after her, but neither of them told me who it is, and if you don't tell me I will kill you myself." She threatened. "Batuir Vakor has been in your time since a few years before Irene was killed." Bronwyn ignored Jen's wince. "He's been using the name Killian O'Reilly."

"Killian?" Wes looked startled. "He owns a bar on Creswell Street, my father owns the building, gave him a loan to get him started." Anger started to rise in his face. "He was at her funeral."

"I can't reach Rachael's morpher or traveler and Eric just isn't answering, probably because he's going after him with a vengeance." Bronwyn rubbed her eyes. "Go help him, or we'll lose them both. The Vakor family is known for their mafia hits, they're dangerous, you have to find her." The rangers ran from the room and to the bar, making it as Eric came out, anger radiating from him.

"I can't find her." He snapped. Jen pulled out her morpher and tried to lock on Rachael's, very unsuccessful.

"Let me try." Tripp used his, tweaking it either way before he locked onto a signal and celebrated quietly. "Got it, this way." He started walking toward the weak signal, breaking into a run as it started to wear out. Wes and Eric sprinted ahead of the others for the garbage bin, throwing open the lid as Jen started to vault inside, stopping at the edge, reaching in and pulling out the morpher, and after a short dig, the traveler.

"Shit." Wes swore and kicked it in frustration. "Where did you look in the bar?"

"The main room, the kitchen, but I couldn't get to the upstairs or the closet in the main bar." Eric frowned. "Got anything to break down doors?" He looked to Jen and the other rangers from the future.

"I can take a door." Katie grinned and started back for the bar, all six of them following her inside. Eric showed her the locked door to the upstairs apartment and Katie easily pulled it from the wall, pulling the hinge completely from the door frame. Eric was surprised at exactly how strong Katie was, but banished the thought as he went up the stairs, followed by the other rangers to cover more ground faster. The apartment had two levels to it, the good stuff was upstairs in a corner bedroom.

"He's been watching us." Tripp looked at the monitors and the multiple tapes labeled carefully. There were dozens, one for each battle they'd been in, and some from their free lance work at odd jobs.

"Creepy." Katie shivered and crossed her arms over her chest. Lucas read through the titles as Trip tried to start the old computer, a version from 2001 he wasn't familiar with, Jen, Eric and Wes kept looking through the rest of the apartment, frustrated to come up empty and return to the room with the other three.

"He's got everything." Trip winced. "Full profiles on all of us, even Bronwyn." He looked to Lucas who frowned and crossed his arms angrily.

"Did you say there was a closet downstairs?" Wes turned to Eric who nodded. "Wouldn't hurt to look there." The two went down, closely followed by Katie who ripped that door off as easily as the first, revealing not a closet, but a set of stairs.

"Rachael!" Wes shouted down the dark stairs, unable to find a light. They waited for a second, silent as they waited for any sign of her.

"Wes!" Rachael's voice came from the bottom, and Eric was down in a second, Wes at his heels. Katie searched for a light along the wall as Jen came down, Lucas and Trip working on confiscating the information up the stairs. But when the light came on, they stopped dead.

"I wouldn't move any closer." Killian had Rachael out of the chair and in front of him, one hand held up in the air in front of her as he had a gun pressed to her temple, the other pinned behind her back. "She's not wearing a vest this time."

"What do you want?" Wes snarled angrily.

"Revenge of course." Killian smiled with an insane glint in his eye. "My father put me here with my son to revenge our family name. The Vakor's will rise again, believe me. But when I saw your lovely sister here," Rachael winced as he squeezed her hand, "I knew Time Force was coming after me. I have to finish this cleanly." He pulled Rachael back so that she could see him. "I'll be kind."

"Like hell." Rachael swore and took advantage of his absent gun position to twist out of his grasp and hit the floor as Eric and Wes rushed forward to try and take Killian down. Rachael scrambled to the other side while the two morphed, grasping onto Jen to pull herself up. Enraged, Killian screamed at the top of his lungs and tore though his outer skin, revealing his original mutant form. "Come on." Rachael went for the door, all too willing to let Wes and Eric take care of Killian, who was bursting from the basement.

"Rachael." Katie helped Jen get her out the door, Tripp and Lucas flying down the stairs to join them. Killian was outside now, Eric and Wes had followed him through the hole. "Are you alright?" Katie asked the girl who was now standing on her own.

"Yes." Rachael's answer was curt, fury in her green eyes.

"Hey love." Brennan's voice made her turn. "Shall we finish what we started?"

"Love to." Rachael promised. Jen pressed her morpher back in her hand, the nod of thanks the only communication Rachael managed. She placed it on her wrist and silently morphed while Brennan tore from his disguise and attacked. The four remaining rangers divided to help both fights, ending up with the four boys against Killian, and the three girls versus Brennan.

Rachael was focused, deadly focused on getting Brennan, or Hinal as he was now referring to himself, down to where they could freeze him. She targeted weak spots expertly, but the fury prevented her from predicting all of his moves. That's where Jen and Katie caught him up and prevented him from harming her any more than absolutely necessary.

Eric tried to hold himself back from ripping Killian to shreds while he prevented Wes from overreacting as well. The two were furious, that was plain to see, but they held back as they held onto the knowledge that Rachael was ok, and battling Brennan with Jen and Katie. Then the bastard grew.

It took them a half hour to retain Killian and Brennan, using all the zords Time Force could send them, including Eric's Q-rex. As the battle finished it was getting dark, Jen and Wes making sure they had both of the mutants contained in the cryro containment tubes while Eric sprinted to where Rachael sat against the wall.

"Rachael." He pulled her into his arms without a second thought to whoever was watching them. She was limp in his arms and silently leaned against him, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. "Are you ok?" He murmured and she shook her head in his grasp, eyes pressed to his chest, not speaking. The other rangers came over, feeling as if they were intruding, Jen holding onto both canisters as Wes stepped forward and touched his sister's shoulder. Rachael turned from Eric and launched into Wes' arms, giving him a glimpse of her tear streaked face.

Wes buried his own face in the gap between his arm and Rachael's head, holding onto her with all he had left. They held each other tightly, crying quietly for what seemed like forever. Rachael barely felt Wes lead her to the clocktower, and was very confused when she woke up tucked into a blanket on the couch. It was dark, and quiet, and she was alone. Shaking, she went to get off the couch and find someone, anyone, thankfully her quest was short lived.

"What are you doing?" Eric's voice was rough with sleep as he reached up from where he sat on the floor. Rachael silently slid to the floor and curled herself against him where he'd sat up. He put his arms around her. "You passed out before we could get you back here." He murmured, pressing his lips against her temple. "I was worried."

"Sorry." Rachael mumbled. "Thanks for staying."

"Wes tried to make me leave." Eric grinned at the thought. There was no way in hell he was leaving Rachael after what had happened to her that day. Wes had thrown up his hands in defeat, and Eric planted himself next to the couch they'd put Rachael on, falling asleep in the early morning hours.

"I see how successful he was." Rachael laughed weakly, her temple resting at Eric's throat. "It was overwhelming." Her voice turned to a whisper. "It was like losing my mother all over again." His arms tightened around her and she closed her eyes. It was nice to feel safe again; it was nice to feel loved. Her eyes opened as she felt her heart stumble, then fall. It wasn't a prolific moment. It wasn't a sudden realization. She knew she was falling in love with Eric, but now she'd fallen, and there was no hope of getting back up. But she didn't want to.

"You should sleep more." Eric murmured, kissing her temple again. Silently, Rachael grabbed the blankets from the couch and spread them over the two of them. "Wes…"

"Can deal with it." Rachael said softly as she pushed him down. Resigned, Eric put his arms around her, not even trying to sleep until her breathing evened out.

Jen woke at her usual time and dressed quickly, hoping to get down and start coffee before Rachael woke up. The girl liked coffee, she knew that much. But Wes was sitting at the picnic table with a mug in front of him; eyes blurry with sleep, hair messed up, not looking at the couch behind him. Jen froze when she saw Rachael wasn't on the couch but was on the floor, wrapped in the arms of a certain Quantum Ranger. "Are you ok?" She said with Wes and asked as he made a noncommittal movement. "You can tell me." Jen encouraged him, reaching out to touch his arm. Wes looked up.

"They're in love aren't they?" His voice sounded dead.

"Looks like it." Jen glanced at the couple on the floor, wrapped in blankets.

"Just my luck." Wes sighed. "My sister has to go and fall in love with Eric."

"Could be worse." Jen removed her hand and placed it in her lap. Wes didn't speak, he couldn't. Was Jen saying what he thought she was saying?

"Morning." Katie came over and sat next to Jen before seeing Eric and Rachael. "Oh wow." A grin spread on her face. "You ok?" She looked to Wes who took a sip from his coffee.

"I don't want to think about it right now." He muttered darkly. "She's my little sister."

"Man up." Lucas suggested as he came in, putting his jacket on.

"Take your own advice." Wes replied quietly, venom in his voice. Lucas stared for a moment before turning away, adjusting his collar almost angrily.

Smelling the coffee, Rachael cracked her eyes open and smiled at Eric's completely unconscious face. She leaned forward and caught sight of her brother and the others at the table, smiling at Tripp when he saw her. After glancing at Eric again, she put the blanket around him and stood, seating herself next to her brother.

"Morning sunshine." He greeted her, grinning as she stole his coffee and drained what was left of it.

"Morning butthead." She returned, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"You two are wonderful siblings." Katie laughed.

"We try." Rachael smiled. "You guys have food or are we going to the diner?" She turned her head to Wes who shrugged. "We can put it on Dad." She grinned as Wes laughed, nodding. "I'll get Eric." She moved for the sleeping Quantum ranger while the others stood up and got ready. "Eric." She leaned over him and kissed his nose. He grunted and opened his eyes. "It's about six thirty, we're going to get some food at the diner and then you're allowed to go to work." She ordered him.

"Yes, ma'am." He muttered and leaned up to kiss her. Breakfast with all seven of them was rowdy, laughter from all of them lightening the overall mood. With the promise to sleep, Rachael left with Eric, but not before Wes pulled her aside.

"You're living with him aren't you?" He asked as he had his arms around her.

"What are you going to do about it?" Rachael looked up at him with her glittering green eyes.

"Beat his ass if he ever hurts you." Wes promised. "If he so much as looks at you funny I'll strangle him."

"I love you Wes." Rachael laughed and released him. "I'll see you later." Eric drove the SUV, Rachael was unsure how it had gotten there but that didn't matter. Inside they went to the bedroom and both changed, Eric into his work clothes, Rachael into sweatpants and his shirt she'd worn the night before. Eric cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her gently. "I wish you could stay." Rachael whispered.

"Me too." Eric frowned. "I'll come by at lunch, bring some food."

"Ok, if I'm asleep you can wake me." Rachael nodded and yawned, sliding under the covers of their bed. Eric pulled an extra blanket from the closet and laid it over her, kissing her forehead before leaving. Not that he could really focus at work. That wasn't really an option when the girl he loved was sleeping off an emotional trauma and he couldn't' be there for her because he had to work for her father. Somehow he managed to make it to noon, telling Lisa he'd be back in an hour if anyone needed him and picked up a pair of subs from a nearby deli. Rachael was curled up on the sofa, having wrapped herself in a blanket like a cocoon.

"How do you feel?" He asked, sitting down on the end of it.

"A lot better." She admitted with a nod. "Thanks."

"No problem." Eric leaned in to kiss her, getting tackled for his trouble. She assaulted him for a few minutes before looking at him thoughtfully.

"I'm hungry." She rolled off of him and went for the kitchen, finding and opening the subs. Bemused, Eric followed her and took his sub from her and they ate. "That was good, I haven't eaten there before." She commented after she finished, throwing away the wrappers and eyeing the painting supplies still left in the house.

"What are you going to do this afternoon?" Eric asked her and she shrugged.

"Call Bronwyn, maybe paint, or clean. I feel restless." She moved to him and sat in his lap. "Or I could stalk to you to work like a crazy girlfriend."

"I like you non-crazy thanks." Eric grinned. "You're the most uncomplicated girl I've ever known."

"Thanks." Rachael kissed his forehead with a throaty laugh. "I try." Eric held her, face squinted in a frown.

"I wish I could stay here with you." He murmured.

"Me too, but one of us has to earn the bacon." Rachael teased him softly. "Speaking of, I should start looking for a real job now that my mission is done."

"What are you going to do?"

"Well my degree is in French Education. I'd take high school, middle school, or even ESL classes." So comfortable leaning against him, she seemed to mold to the curves in his body. "Or I could just buck it and work for the Silver Guardians." She grinned as he laughed.

"Not a chance."

"Really? I can't even sleep with the Captain to get in?"

"No way." Eric laughed and shook his head. "I'm a firm believer in separating work and private lives." He leaned up, their lips inches apart.

"If you insist." She murmured a breath away from him. "I guess we don't get to make out in the supply closet or have a quickie in your office." His groan told her the imagery worked, and another sign was when he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom, lips locked passionately. The bed wasn't made, and they were soon wrapped in the sheets.

"Guess I'll have to find you in other places." Eric grinned as she breathed rapidly under him, laughing at his teasing.

"I think I'll provoke you more often." She kissed him and ran her hands on his bare chest. "You're going to be late if you don't leave now." The reminder was aggravating, but she was right. He slid to the end of the bed and started to dress, getting momentarily distracted when she kissed his shoulders.

"You're making this harder."

"Well then." Rachael stopped and leaned back on the pillows. "I'll see you tonight." She promised as he left without another word. Blissfully happy, she rolled over and dozed for a while, just grateful to be where she was. Sure Eric's house was tiny compared to the house she'd grown up in, but it was bigger than her apartment in Boston. Boston. Rachael got up and put on her painting clothes before picking up Eric's phone and dialing.

"Hello?"

"Hey Roomie."

"Some roommate you are, I haven't seen you in two weeks." Britney's voice came through with an air of annoyance. "Meet a guy?"

"Maybe." Rachael laughed. "His name is Eric."

"Eric. Nice. Slovakian." Britney was a language expert, which made the two good roommates as they would speak entirely in French to one another. "You're moving home then?"

"Yep. Mind packing up my things?"

"Not at all, getting rid of your sorry ass means my boyfriend can move in. But I'll miss the French." Britney laughed. "You're paying for this right?"

"Yeah, I'll send you the money princess." Rachael rolled her eyes. They said their good-byes and she hung up. Permanence. A quick call to Bronwyn got her a lecture from the blonde, angry she'd been left out of the loop for a while, but was willing to forgive Rachael as she looked tired.

"And something's going down with the rangers." Bronwyn looked behind her. "Alex is being tight lipped and I don't like it." She muttered.

"Well I can't imagine it's anything too terrible." Rachael frowned, but as soon as she'd spoken the house shook. "Oh no." She ran from the house and stood in the front yard, staring up that dozens of time portals opening in the sky. People were pouring from their houses to look at the unnatural phenomenon, cars stopping in the middle of the street to watch them slowly rotate. Rachael sprinted back in the house and explained what was happening to Bronwyn before running back out, leaving her car as safe as it could be in Eric's driveway. Listening to the rangers on her morpher, she heard Eric staunchly trying to defend the city with Q-Rex while the Trixyrium crystals were affecting the time portals in the sky. It was a catch-22 situation, Eric was right; they needed to protect the city, despite how Frax and the Q-Rex were causing the disruptions.

Rachael made it downtown after a few minutes and watched Eric use Q-Rex to battle, the other five rangers strangely absent. She anxiously watched the battle proceed, unable to help him even if she morphed and ran into battle herself. Finally, she caught sight of Wes and ran down to meet him as Eric was soundly punished by Frax, buried under a pile of rubble.

"Eric!" She screamed as Wes did, the two siblings sprinted for him as he pulled himself free, injured. Cyclobots surrounded him and he got up and fought more, joined by both Collins'. Wes took the bulk of the fighting while Rachael helped Eric to his feet, making sure he was ok. Wes helped her hold him up and the three made their way to a safe place, Rachael staying with Eric as Wes inspected the area. Eric kept calling into the Silver Guardians, but nothing would go through, all communication channels destroyed.

"You alright?" Wes asked.

"I'm fine, go back to your friends, and you go back home where it's safe." He tried to direct Rachael but she glared at him, not moving from his side.

"They're gone." Wes looked odd as he spoke. "Back to the year 3000. From now on it's just you and me."

"Like hell." Rachael snapped.

"No, Eric's right, you need to go back where it's safe, go find Dad, he'll keep you safe." Wes ordered his sister.

"If you can stay here, I can." Rachael crossed her arms as Eric stood.

"So your friends abandoned you." Rachael barely recognized Eric as he spoke, the words he said were strange, very negative and got Wes angry. She sat back and listened to the men speak about their friendship. Eric began talking, and she was floored. He felt so strongly about their differences in social status and wealth that he and Wes couldn't be friends, what made him stay with her? Wes was speaking back now, about their destinies and their ranger connection. They stayed a while longer, no one speaking or moving, making a run for the clocktower as soon as they could, Rachael and Wes again supporting Eric.

Silent, Rachael went for the stairs and sat on them, watching as Eric and Wes continued their battle of stubbornness, Eric wanting nothing more than to get out of there and fight more despite his injuries. From feeling so in sync with him that morning and moving to now when she barely knew the man was confusing to say the least. He looked at her and tried to talk to her, but she looked away, not ready. Hurt, he turned to speak to Wes about the Polaroids he was holding of his four friends.

"Your friends, how do you know they're ok?"

"I don't." Wes shook his head sadly. The shattering of glass of all sides interrupted them, pinning both men in the middle of the fray, Rachael on the outside, unnoticed by the dozens of creatures. She stood up and backed away from it, trying to find an escape route, but only managing to run directly into who she didn't want to see.

"Nadira." Rachael greeted her with a half smile. "Nice to see you here, really."

"I don't recognize you." Nadira tilted her head. "But Daddy says we need you." A wrinkle appeared on her brow as she spoke.

"You don't sound convinced."

"That doesn't matter." Nadira breathed and her nails elongated rapidly. Rachael tried to duck and dodge away from the pink haired fiend, but she was still tired from the previous day, and fell to her knees. She tried to get up to strike at Nadira, but cyclobots intercepted her, one flinging its weapon at her stomach, debilitating her with the blow to the ribs. She vaguely felt her morpher be removed from her wrist as she fought the pain in her chest and breathed as deep as she could.

She screamed, alerting both men to her plight as she was whisked from the tower. Nadira landed on the bottom and held her arms near Ransik as the clocktower blew up before her eyes. "No." Rachael whispered, terrified of what was happening to her brother, and the man she cared so deeply for. Ransik growled as Wes and Eric barely escaped. Infuriated he lashed out at the nearest target, and Rachael happened to be there, getting the full brunt of his backhand. Ransik's attack hit her squarely on the face and she fell, as if she was falling forever, unaware when exactly she'd lost consciousness.

The next thing she heard was her name. Her name repeated over and over by the most terrified voice she'd ever heard. She wanted to open her eyes and see who it was, but she couldn't. "Please Rachael." Now she felt rocking, and the voice was familiar. "I know you heard what I said; I never thought that about you. I don't know why you're different, but you are." That phrase pinpointed it. Eric. Desperate to open her eyes and see him again, she struggled, but it wouldn't work. His voice faded in and out, more repeating of her name and calling out to her to wake up. Unable to hold on she slipped and fell into the blackness, its cushioning embrace the most uncomfortable feeling she'd ever felt. Time began to blur together uncomfortably, with no sense of time she didn't know when she was awake and when she was sleeping, or what time it was. Or who was with her.


	8. Chapter 8

Eric escaped from the hospital care as soon as he was able to walk and went looking for Rachael. Wes was already doing the same, but odds were he was busy with Ransik at this point. It didn't really matter, Rachael was missing, and although every Silver Guardian was under Alan Collins' direction to find her at this point, he had to look for himself. For his own sanity. Granted all sanity was gone when he'd fallen in love with the enchanting girl, and yesterday he'd said some of the stupidest things possible. He had to find her.

"Rachael!" He called her name, hoping and praying she'd answer. When she didn't, his heart would hurt, but he kept going. He had to. Making his way through the dust covered city he got to the remnants of the clocktower and looked around, frowning at the shell of a building. It was disgusting to see, but worse to know Rachael could be anywhere. He scanned the area, seeing a strange sight on the small grassy patch between the clocktower and the other buildings in the city. Breaking into a sprint, Eric was a few feet away from the blanket before he saw it was Rachael underneath it. Someone had laid her on the grass and covered her with a blanket. Leaning over, he pulled Rachael into his arms, heart beating erratically as she didn't move. "Please Rachael." He muttered desperately. "I'm sorry I was an idiot. I know you heard what I said; I never thought that about you. I don't know why you're different, but you are."

Discouraged at her lack of movement, he heaved her up in his arms, still wrapped in the blanket and carried her from the clocktower to the hospital without stopping. It felt like he sat in the waiting room for hours before anyone else showed up. Alan was first and sat next to his leader of the Silver Guardians, suspecting something was between him and his daughter, but not asking. He was too worried about her well being to ask. Wes and the other four rangers showed up soon after and a vigil was set up, Katie being the first to leave and come back with a round of coffee. It took hours before any news came, and it wasn't good.

"She suffered a sharp blow to the head." The doctor gravely informed Alan and Wes. "Her other injuries include three fractured ribs and a broken ankle, they'll heal well." He looked over the chart in his hands. "When she arrived she opened her eyes for a few moments, but it didn't last." He looked up, face set in stone. "I'm sorry, but she's in a coma. We won't know about damage until she wakes up."

Eric ducked his head into his hands and stopped listening. More time passed, people came and left, but he stayed, suddenly finding himself alone with Alan Collins.

"How long have you and Rachael been together?" He asked, leaning back in his seat, no anger in his voice, just emotionless curiosity.

"About a week." Saying it out loud made him feel insane. The days blurred together, but it had been a either eight or nine days until this point.

"And she's living with you." Alan watched the younger man's reaction and slow nod. "I've never agreed with Rachael's approaches to relationships." He started, voice set in the fatherly tone every man dreaded. "But I can see she's made a good choice." Eric turned his head and looked at Alan.

"Sir, I…"

"No." Alan shook his head. "She's an adult, but I would like her to come to the mansion when she's released from here. Mrs. Bailey will take care of her. You can stay as well."

"That sounds good." Eric nodded, debating whether or not this conversation was happening. He looked up at the opening door, expecting to see the rangers, but seeing someone completely surprising.

"Hello Eric." She smiled gently. "How's she doing?" Stunned he could only respond with her name.

"Bronwyn?"

The blonde woman laughed and nodded. "In the flesh. Ransik's been captured." She explained and turned to Alan. "Hello, I'm Bronwyn Scotts, Jen's sister." She introduced herself and Alan nodded with a weak smile. "How much do you know?" Confused Alan looked to Eric who answered.

"He knows you're from the future."

"Oh, good." Bronwyn seated herself next to Alan, smoothing her knee length skirt as she sat, crossing her legs. She pulled a small sphere from her purse and held it out. It was transparent with what looked like an electrical storm brewing inside of it. "Alex, a co-worker of mine, used one of these to help heal you a few weeks back." She started to explain. "It won't make her wake up, but it'll help." Bronwyn tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "It will reenergize her, give her the strength to wake up and heal."

"Whatever helps." Alan nodded.

"I'll need you to distract all medical personnel." Bronwyn stood and adjusted her white shirt over the black skirt and navy blue sweater. She looked surprisingly well dressed and girly, especially for being Jen's sister. Eric know the basics from Rachael about the sister's relationship, but it was hard to imagine they were related when you looked at them. Eric glanced down the hall as Alan peeked in the room Rachael was in, ushering Bronwyn in front of him.

Rachael looked ill on the bed, her face nearly blending into the pillow. She was hooked up to countless machines helping her breathe and feeding her nutrients. Her hair was swept behind her head to make way for the breathing tube in her nose and throat. It sickened Alan to see his daughter in such a state, but stayed back as Bronwyn moved forward and placed the healing aide in Rachael's hand, wrapping her fingers around it so that she had a loose grip on the smooth sphere. The storm inside the ball rapidly grew, darkening until it was black, making Alan shift uncomfortably.

"That means it's working." Bronwyn explained. "You should be more worried if it never did this." She watched it anger then recede, the lightning stopping altogether as it cleared. "There." Bronwyn removed it and touched her friend's face. "It's up to her now." A sad look passed over her face as she stood and left the room, leaving Alan to step forward and sit near his daughter.

"I love you sweetheart." He said softly, touching her face. "So very much." Holding back tears, he stood and left the room, allowing Eric in after him.

The headstrong Quantum Rangers stared at his match. He couldn't do anything about the currently unconscious beauty lying vulnerable in the hospital bed. It took all of his strength to walk over to the bed and sit next to her. "Rachael." He said her name in a weak whisper. "Please don't leave me." He tried to hold back his pure terror about losing the one thing in his life that he couldn't live without. "I love you." He whispered the words and kissed her forehead before leaving to rejoin Alan and Bronwyn in the waiting room. The two were having a civil conversation, Bronwyn explaining a few things about the future Alan was curious about, without giving away things she couldn't.

The five rangers returned after a while, Bronwyn standing to greet them one by one. She shook Wes' hand and explained what she'd done for Rachael before hugging her sister lightly. Their relationship was new, but it was a start. Bronwyn received a hug from Katie whether she wanted one or not and gave in and hugged Tripp with a laugh. When it came to Lucas she stood awkwardly for a moment before opening her arms. Lucas stepped forward and Bronwyn wrapped her arms around him, holding a touch longer than the others before pulling back and smiling. Bronwyn sat next to Jen on the couch as their vigil continued, waiting for Rachael to show any signs of life.

"We're not leaving until she's awake." Jen told Bronwyn who nodded.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." She laughed and leaned in to speak to Jen quietly. "You're missing something."

"I know." Jen shook her head toward the ceiling. "I had to be honest with him."

"Good for you." Bronwyn looped her arm through Jen's and leaned her head on her sister's shoulder. "He's not doing too badly either. I caught him staring at the ring, but he's ok." Jen nodded in relief. Alex had meant so much to her for so long, she didn't want anything bad to happen to him, especially not because of her. Lucas was relaxed in a seat across the room, occasionally watching Bronwyn who would meet his eyes and look away. After it happened a few times she realized exactly what they were doing. They were flirting. How ridiculous that a pair of people that had already dated for six months about a year ago to be flirting.

"Mr. Collins?" Rachael's doctor came over, staring curiously at the clipboard. "She's improved a lot over the last few hours." He looked up. "I can't explain it." Getting no shocking surprise from the group he was done. "You may visit her a couple at a time, no more than two please. Talking to her can only help." He directed to the large group of people gathered in the waiting room for the one girl. It didn't matter that it was six in the morning and they'd been there all night in shifts, that girl must be important.

Wes and Alan went in first, then the rest of the rangers in shifts, ending with Eric who slipped in solo to see Rachael again. He held her hand and talked. Just talked about hockey, their first 'date', promised her dozens of other dates and told her she could paint the entire house whatever color she wanted. "You can paint the bathroom orange for all I care." Eric laughed at the thought of his tiny bathroom in a bright citrus color. He watched her face for a moment. "I need you, Rachael." He gripped her hands. "I know it hasn't been long, but you've invaded my life." He laughed at the absurd truth. "I don't want anything less than you."

Then she moved. Her facial muscles moved. Or maybe he imagined it because he wanted it so badly. He stood and moved his face closer to hers. "Rachael, can you hear me?" Her eyes seemed to move under the lids, but he couldn't be sure, maybe the hours of sleep deprivation were getting to him. Before his eyes her eyebrows knit together into a frown that lasted a few minutes before her head tried to turn, but the tubes made it impossible. "Rachael." Eric touched her face and her eye muscles relaxed. Then fluttered open.

She could hear him. It was hard to listen to him talk for so long and not be able to respond, he probably hadn't said so many words the entire time they'd been together, but now he wasn't stopping. Frustrated, she'd frowned, but when he'd asked if she could hear him, she knew her muscles were finally working again. Opening her eyes was one of the hardest things she'd had to do in a long time, but it was worth it. Eric looked relieved to see her, and hovered over her.

"Hey." He whispered. "Don't speak, there's a tube in your throat." His hands were on her arms as she felt the tube. Fear welled up inside her as tears started to fall from her eyes, streaking down her face. Eric froze as Rachael began to panic, her hand finding his arm and gripping it. He pressed the nurse call button, getting two in nearly immediately. He held Rachael's hand as they checked her over and called the doctor in who glared at Eric's presence. But with Rachael's grip on the man's hand and the fear in her eyes he let it go.

"Rachael, I'm going to take the tube out, you take a deep breath and don't move." He instructed and detached it. When it was out she swallowed and coughed, fear still the most present emotion. A nurse helped her drink some water to lubricate before asking her to speak.

"My mother." She rasped, tears still falling. "Hospitals." She shook her head, closing her eyes.

"It's ok." Eric tried to sooth her, figuring out what she meant. "You're ok, I'm here for you, Wes is here, your Dad, everyone, even Bronwyn." Rachael didn't open her eyes but her breathing slowed as she tried to relax. The nurses and doctor still looking her over to ensure she was alright, but she was rapidly calming. "Send her father in." Eric requested as the nurses left.

Alan burst in and came to his daughter's side, causing her to open her eyes and smile weakly, the tears still staining her face. "Sweetheart." Her father touched her cheek gently. "How do you feel?"

"Numb." Her voice was raspy, but she wore a smile.

"I'm going to let Wes in." Eric leaned close to her. "You have to let go first." Her hand tightened on his and he kissed her forehead, easing her hand from his. "I'll be back." He promised and slipped from the room before he changed his mind. Over the next day her friends and family visited between the short naps she took from sheer exhaustion. The worst was the day the five people from the future had to return home and said their good-byes to her as she sat in the hospital bed, hugging each in turn, promising to see them later. An odd thing, but a fact as Rachael would now routinely return to the year 3000 for her own work with Time Force.

After the emotionally stressful good bye on the beach, Eric went back to the Silver Guardian's headquarters, stopped by Alan as they entered. "Take the rest of the day off, boss' orders." He said with a grin.

"But…"

"No buts." Alan raised his head regally. "She's learning how to use the crutches this morning so she can come home tonight, I'm sure she'll take the news better from you."

"Yes sir." Eric grinned. They'd talked with Wes and the three men confirmed they'd bring Rachael back to the mansion if they had to drag her, using bribery when necessary. He'd packed up some of her things and had them sent to the mansion the day before in preparation, so now he just changed his own clothes and grabbed some clothes she'd want to wear. He drove her car to the hospital, hoping that if she saw it she'd perk up. Living in the hospital for three days was practically killing Rachael, and she was going stir crazy at the thought of staying there any longer. But it was nice to see her walking around with the aid of her crutches when he got to the hospital.

"Come here." Rachael ordered as soon as she saw him, holding her hand out and grabbing his shirt as soon as he was within grabbing distance. Yanking him closer, she kissed him for the first time in an upright position. "God I miss you." Her eyes were dark with desire, and Eric made a grunting noise before kissing her again.

"Well get used to it." He threw the clothes on her bed. "You're going to your Dad's for a week or so until you're ok."

"No." Rachael refused, sitting down on the bed, holding the crutches in front of her, pulling her hospital robe around her waist. "I want to go home with you."

"I know, and honestly I want you home too, but you're better off at the mansion." He tried to reason with her, moving forward and leaning down to hover over her. "No matter how much you resist we're taking you there."

"You discussed it?" The look she gave him was deadly and he dodged away from her as she tried to lunge at him. "Behind my back deciding my life, thanks." She frowned and leaned back against her pillow. "A week and I'm back with you."

"I'll be staying at the mansion while you're there." Eric raised an eyebrow as she stared.

"I get that Dad was ok with us, but I wasn't aware he _that_ ok." Rachael leaned back in confusion for a moment before a grin appeared on her face. "Are you privy to what the sleeping arrangements are?" Eric rolled his eyes and moved over to her bed to kiss her again.

"You're insatiable." He muttered against her lips. Rachael laughed, the darkness to her green eyes not fading ad the doctor came in to look her over again, checking her ribs and making sure the cast on her ankle was snug. The cast was decorated with signatures from all of the rangers and Bronwyn, all in their own colors. It had been a battle to get Eric to sign it, a battle she thought she'd won until he wrote his name on her foot. Not her cast, her foot. Eventually she persuaded him to sign the cast part when the one on her foot had worn off. When the doctor left to begin the process of discharging her, her eyes went to the man standing near the window.

"I could hear you, you know." Rachael breathed out, saying the words she'd wanted to say for days, but now was the first time they were alone together. Eric's chest tightened. He'd said some heavy things, some of which he was afraid she hadn't heard. He moved closer to her and sat on the bed, pulling Rachael so that her head rested on his shoulder.

"I meant everything." He promised.

"I'm different from Wes?" She looked up at him and he frowned.

"The first time Wes mentioned having a sister, I didn't know it was you. I pictured some blonde girl in a pink sweater wearing pearls." Rachael shuddered in his arms.

"Scary thing is I've worn that exact thing before. I burned it when I turned eighteen with a lot of other things."

"I'm sure that pleased your Dad."

"He was ecstatic, but please, continue." She urged, laying her hand on his chest.

"I guess it was my own stupid ideas about rich people. I never gave Wes a chance; I thought I had to do everything by myself. I thought I was the one who had to make myself better, get myself a better life."

"You didn't have to do it alone." Rachael murmured against him. "It's not always a handout, sometimes it's just a hand."

"I know that now." Eric kissed her forehead and they lapsed into silence. But there was one thing she couldn't let go and sat up to face him, their eyes meeting.

"You said you loved me." She whispered softly.

"I meant it." Eric admitted, feeling the most vulnerable he'd ever felt in his life at that particular moment. "I love you." He repeated.

"I love you too." Rachael whispered, fear overtaking her face. She leaned her head against him and sighed. "It scares me." It was her turn to admit something, frowning as his chest moved under her as he laughed.

"I'm terrified." He kissed the top of her head. "I guess we have to stay together until we're not afraid anymore."

"Makes total sense." Rachael agreed, smiling. "Guess you're stuck with me."

"I'll survive."

"You'd better." Rachael rolled over him with a grin on her face that would terrify a nun. "I've got plans for you."

"Back to this." Eric pretended to be annoyed but kissed her. "You're worse than a man."

"I know." Rachael laughed, "Wes has been telling me that for years."

"For once he's right." Eric frowned but obliged her by entertaining her mouth until the doctor returned. It was slightly embarrassing to be caught kissing your girlfriend like a middle schooler, but she shrugged off the looks with ease, and he tried to match her. It didn't take long before he was wheeling her out the door in a wheelchair as per hospital protocol, but Rachael forced him to stop it just outside the door and let her walk on the crutches to her car.

"I'm going to overlook the fact you drove my baby and focus on the fact I get to see her." Rachael narrowed her eyes at him as she sat in the passenger seat. Eric ignored her death threats as he drove to the mansion, taking extra care with the car than he ever had with his SUV. Mrs. Bailey threw the door open and scolded Rachael as she led her to the guest suite on the main level of the house, not letting the obstacle of the stairs getting in her way just yet.

"Now, you are going to sit here and not move a muscle." Mrs. Bailey ordered as she settled Rachael in the large expensive bed. "And you." She looked to Eric and inspected him for a moment. "Will make sure she does, or you'll be sleeping on the lawn." She swept from the room, promising to let them know when dinner was happening.

"Imagine sneaking into the house at two am to that." Rachael winced. "Needless to say, it only happened the once. She doesn't even live here; I don't know how she caught us."

"Us?"

"Me and Wes." Rachael clarified. "We did misbehave together on occasion. It didn't last though; we got into different kinds of trouble after that. My theory is she's psychic."

"Universal trait of mothers." Eric commented from where he leaned against the window.

"So I do have something to look forward to." Rachael grinned and patted the bed, getting a shake from Eric as Wes came in.

"Hey Princess, how do you feel?" Wes plopped himself next to his sister on the bed, oddly cheery for exactly what he'd had to do that day.

"Fantastic." The sarcasm dripped in her voice, making Wes laugh. "How was your day?"

"Dad asked me to lead the Silver Guardians."

"That's Eric's job." Rachael's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I know." Wes tweaked her nose, getting another glare. "We're partners now." Rachael looked to the other man in the room, waiting for a nod of agreement from him before looking back to her brother. Wes pulled out Jen's badge and held it in his hand, looking at it absently, tugging at Rachael's heart.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." Wes sighed. "I miss her."

Her. Not them, not his friends. Her. Rachael leaned her head on his shoulder to comfort him. The poor kid finally figures out he's in love with Jen and she has to leave him. Even if she loved him back they couldn't be together, not through time. Eric watched the siblings interact quietly, if he didn't think Rachael would protest if he left, he would have. A bell ringing got both of them moving, Rachael smiling at him for her crutches.

"Mrs. Bailey says dinner's ready." She propelled herself through the door in front of Wes who nodded to Eric before following her. Dinner with the three Collins' was surprisingly not awkward, but he was glad when they were back in the room by themselves, barely watching the hockey game that played before them. "Very nice." Rachael commented as the goalie stopped a puck with his glove, diving to make the save. The Penguins were winning, but Rachael was more concerned with the fact she was lying in Eric's arms in her father's house. And neither man seemed to have a problem with it. "Are you ok?" She asked, feeling him take deep breath under her.

"I'm fine, are you?" Eric replied, leaning down so his lips were pressed to the top of her head.

"I mean we're in my Dad's house, he obviously knows we're together, and apparently that I live with you. Is everything good?" Rachael explained, playing with the blanket he'd tucked around her.

"Sure." Eric shifted under her, holding her close. "He respects us, I respect him."

"How much?" Rachael turned in his arms and looked up, eyes as dark as before. "This much?" Her hand moved to his chest, gripping at the neckline of his t-shirt.

"That much." Eric moved her hand away. Rachael snorted and gave up; she wasn't going to push him in this situation. With a chuckle he carefully tackled her on the bed, making sure to avoid her ankle and ribs. Laughing, Rachael looked up at him and stretched her arms up. "Still that much." Eric warned her before leaning in.

"We'll see." Rachael grinned as she accepted him against her. "I love you." She murmured as he moved to her neck.

"God I love you." Eric groaned and backed up to look in her eyes. "When we get home, I'm taking the day off." He announced and covered her mouth again.

He stayed true to his promise, and after a week living in the mansion with Alan and Wes, Eric was ready to get Rachael home. Home. The little house in the suburbs had gone from the place he lived to home in under three weeks thanks to the raven haired beauty who now occupied it with him. The first night back there they worked around her casted ankle, but it was worth it after two weeks of chastity.


	9. Chapter 9

Life without the rangers moved on, getting into a different rhythm, one he much preferred to the old. Rachael started painting as soon as her ribs stopped hurting, before her ankle was uncasted. Needless to say, in a flurry of energy she had the entire inside painted and was begging Eric to clean out the spare room and garage so she could paint one, and park her car in the other. Over two months she managed to put the house into an intelligent form of order, something it hadn't seen since its previous owner. By the time she'd gotten the cast of her ankle she'd applied for teaching jobs all over Silver Hills, and gotten one at Silver Hills University teaching French part time for the coming school year. Which gave her quite a few months before she had to start working.

A monumental moment in their relationship occurred when she forced Eric to let her go with him to the assisted living center to visit his mother. Leta Myers was the most amazing woman Rachael had ever met, and it was freaking out her son to see his mother and his girlfriend hit it off so well. They were laughing rambunctiously after fifteen minutes. To be fair he'd never brought a girl to see his mother before, and he hadn't seen her enjoy herself in a very long time. So this had to be a good thing. Right? At least that's what he thought until Rachael admitted to calling Leta at least once a week. And he had no idea how she got him to do things. Or why he was standing in his bathroom wrestling with a tie.

"Let me." Rachael slipped in behind him after slipping silver earrings in her ears. In the last six months with her he'd learned all kinds of fun details about her. Including the seven piercings she had in her ears and belly button, but rarely wore rings in them, unless asked to. Today she only had one pair of earrings in, since the event she was dragging him to was formal. Hence the tie.

"I don't see…"

"Man up, it's not a bowtie." Rachael finished tying it with a flourish and kissed him soundly. "Be glad it's not a tux with a cummerbund, those things look annoying."

"That isn't what I meant." He mumbled as she silenced him with a second kiss. "I meant why I have to go."

"Because you're my boyfriend." Rachael frowned and turned in a whirl of her now curly hair for the bedroom. "If you go to this dinner without a date, you get paired off by the older ones." She yelled it, getting him to move into the doorway.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Rachael was pinning the curls she'd carefully created behind her head with several pins and a sparkly barrette. "Last one I went to was three years ago, Mrs. St. James tried to get me with her grandson. Harvard graduate." She glanced at Eric who was frowning. "I swear he came out of a cave for the dinner." She stood and tore off her t-shirt and shorts, walking to the closet in her underwear. "The second we were alone he practically attacked me." She laughed. "It wasn't hard to fight the poor kid off. Last I heard he was working as a CEO for some production company down in LA." She shrugged as she stepped into the dress she'd selected. She turned to him, the back hanging open. "Zip me?"

"You keep in contact with these people?" Eric asked, more curious than anything as he stepped forward to pull the zipper up, covering the milky white skin on her back.

"Just through what my Dad tells me. This is the first time I've been home he hasn't tried to sneakily set me up with someone." She leaned her head back and smiled at him. "I'm pretty sure he likes you."

"Monumental." Eric murmured and kissed her before she pushed him away.

"Make-up." She went back to the dresser and started pulling out and messing with applicators and things on her face. Whatever she did was magical, and soon she was standing in front of him wearing the deep purple dress that clung to her chest and torso, hanging in a column to her feet where she wore a pair of silver heels. Her black hair curled behind her head, the light touch of make-up stunning him. Eric pulled on his suit jacket and took her hand, leading her to her car to drive to the event.

"Wes going to be there?"

"Yep." Rachael grinned evilly. "He's going to get matched up. I hope it's Charlotte, she's pretty, but very obnoxious."

"Very nice of you." Eric commented with a look to her where she sat comfortably in the passenger seat. She'd relaxed about him driving her car over time, especially when she figured out he was a very safe driver. Arriving at the hotel Eric felt immediately out of place, but she grabbed his hand as they entered, always getting him into the conversations she was pulled into.

Wes grinned as he watched Eric attempt to socialize at Rachael's side as he sipped the soda he'd grabbed from the bar. Since his bad run in when he was a teenager he avoided alcohol at all costs, never wanting to go down that road again. This dinner was an annual pain; he'd been able to miss last year because of his work with the rangers. And Jen. Thoughts of her invaded his mind frequently, and sometimes all he wanted was to escape. Going back to alcohol right now would be easy. It'd be so easy.

"Anything good?" A sweet voice inquired from behind him and he turned to see a girl with shoulder length blonde hair smiling at him. He was unable to speak at first, first had to figure out that he was standing in front of the appetizers, and then had to get past her unusual eye color.

"Just the mozzarella." Wes pointed to the slices layered with basil and tomato. "The rest is usually bland." He smiled back at her, not taking his eyes from hers. They were violet. Not the shade of blue that looked purple, but pure, vivid violet.

"Good to know." She nodded, her left hand adjusting her long black dress. She shifted her bag to her other hand and extended her hand to shake his with a smile. "I'm Courtney." 

"Wes." He shook her hand. "Do you want a drink?"

"Is there soda?" She frowned, eyes flicking to the cup in his hands.

"This is sprite." He shrugged. "I don't drink."

"I'm not legally allowed." Courtney admitted with a grin. "I'm twenty." She clarified, tucking a lock of her curled blonde hair behind her ear. "I've never been here before." Her eyes swept the room filled with people in suits and dresses. "Is it always this boring?"

"Yes." Wes chuckled. "You'd think they'd figure it out after a few dozen times."

"I can't imagine." Courtney's eyes followed a few different women in dresses before catching on one. "Oh she's gorgeous, I love that dress." She moaned, pointing to where Rachael stood with Eric off to the side.

"Come on." Wes set down his drink and took Courtney's arm, leading her to them.

"No, I couldn't." She tried to stop but Wes kept moving toward the pair, getting an odd look from the dark haired girl, but a smile.

"Hey." Wes kissed his sister's cheek, getting a curious look from Courtney before he explained. "Courtney was admiring your dress from across the room." Rachael smiled sweetly. "This is my sister Rachael. Rach, this is Courtney."

"Nice to meet you." Rachael shook her hand with a genuine smile. "Do you two know each other?" She looked to her brother who shook his head.

"Nope."

"I see." She looked back to Courtney. "This is my boyfriend Eric Myers." She introduced them. "These two are partners."

"Wesley, Rachael." Alan came from nowhere and kissed his daughter and clapped a hand on his son's shoulder. "Eric." He nodded to his captain who nodded back, uncomfortable with his surroundings. Then he caught sight of Courtney. "Ah, you must be Arwyn's daughter." He took her hand as she tried to shake and kissed it.

"Yes sir, Courtney." She smiled sweetly, tilting her head coyly. "I'm very glad I could come. Thank you for inviting me."

"Your mother couldn't come?" Alan inquired as Courtney shook her head.

"No, unfortunately the twins are causing trouble again." She smiled, looking much older than twenty with her mannerisms. "They may be chronologically fourteen, but they tend to act more toward four." Alan laughed and excused himself to another group.

"He's playing host again." Rachael commented absently, sipping the drink in her hand. "I wish O'Reilly's was still open." She muttered under her breath.

"Odd thing to say." Wes frowned at his sister who swallowed before responding.

"It was a nice bar." She protested. "It wasn't so much the owner as the atmosphere."

"Is that the one that collapsed?" Courtney asked innocently, remembering how the media was confused as to why a building would just collapse on itself. "Didn't the rangers have something to do with that?" She didn't receive an answer for a few moments before Eric spoke.

"Probably just a bad foundation and got in the way of an attack." He tried to distract her. "Are you in school?"

Courtney nodded. "I've been studying at Briarwood College, it's alright I suppose." She shrugged as she looked at the imposing man next to her. Eric Myers was not only tall, but he had broad shoulders and a tough demeanor. "My major is international studies with a poly-sci minor."

"Politics?" Wes raised his eyebrows as Courtney nodded slowly. "Interesting."

"Why international studies?" Rachael inquired.

"I started with linguistics as an easy major, but then I figured out I really liked international relations." Rachael's curious look had her backtrack. "I'm bilingual, French."

"Oh God." Wes stepped back as Rachael hit him.

"Moi aussi. Je suis allé à l'école pour l'enseignement français." She rapidly explained and the two women launched into a conversation in the other language, leaving the men out of it until the doors opened to the dinner and they found a table where the four sat with a few other couples, Courtney finding herself seated next to Wes.

"Did you come with someone?" He asked her and she shook her head.

"Not really, no." She shook her head. "More like I was escorted to the door, and they'll be waiting to take me home after."

"What if I wanted to take you somewhere for coffee?" Wes asked, stunning her for a moment. Before she could answer he was monopolized by another guest and the dinner began, conversation flowing easily between the people at the table, even Eric seemed to loosen up as the night progressed. It was nearly midnight before some of the hundred or so people began to leave and Wes came up next to her. "Ready?"

"You were serious?" Courtney looked up at him.

"I was." Wes grinned. "And I really mean coffee. There's nothing more entertaining than going to a diner dressed to the nines. Besides, Eric and Rachael have been itching to get home for over an hour." Courtney's eyes went to where the couple was trying to leave, but were waylaid by an elderly woman and both looked anxious to leave.

"They're in love." Courtney observed.

"Very much." Wes agreed. "And I'd like to not think about what they really want to do." He took her arm gently. "You don't have to come." The look on his face was pathetic and Courtney glanced at the dainty watch on her wrist.

"I have to tell them."

"Who's them?"

"I'll tell you over coffee." Courtney promised and left with the promise to be right back. And she was, in about three minutes. In those three minutes Rachael and Eric had narrowly escaped the woman and Wes grabbed Courtney the moment he saw her and they snuck out the back, running through hallways they probably shouldn't have been in to avoid the talkative older members of society. In ten minutes Wes had her seated at an ancient, but clean, diner.

"Want something to eat? That chicken was so dry." He frowned and perused the menu.

"Do they have diner fries?" Courtney leaned forward to inspect the menu.

"The best." Wes grinned as the waitress came over. "A large serving of the diner fries and two cups of coffee." He ordered. "Now, who was waiting for you."

"My bodyguard." Courtney admitted, carefully watching for Wes' reaction.

"Why do you need a bodyguard?" Wes asked slowly, trying not to ask too many questions although he had a dozen ready.

"My mother is paranoid of losing us." Courtney sighed as the waitress brought their coffee and began to stir in sugar and cream. "Our father died when I was eight, old wounds he never really recovered from. Kaitlynn and Davina, my twin sisters, were only two. Liam was ten." She explained, absently stirring her mug. "Have you ever heard of Naeva?"

"No." A wrinkle appeared in Wes' brow.

"In Arthurian legend, she was the lady of the lake." Courtney explained, utterly confusing her companion. "She lived on the Isle of Avalon. Il d'Avalon." She translated it to French for her own benefit. "I live on Il d'Avalon."

"You live on a mythical island?" Wes stared.

"It's not really an island." Courtney shrugged one shoulder, eyes on the cup. "The myths have it as an island because it's technically another dimension." Wes stared. The story this girl was telling him was ridiculous, but after having worked with people from the future, he couldn't help but believe her.

"And you need a bodyguard…"

"Because my mother is a direct descendant from Naeva." Courtney lifted her eyes to watch his reaction. "My mother rules Avalon."

"Wow." Wes leaned back, having not even touched his coffee. "That's heavy."

"I know." Courtney leaned forward. "I have no idea why I just told you all that."

"Sometimes you need to tell someone." Wes offered. "Before I worked for the Silver Guardians I was the red Time Force ranger."

"No way." Courtney's face lit up. "I loved reading about the rangers; my mother called it an obsession." She blushed admitting that to him as he laughed.

"So how does living in another dimension work, how do you get here?" Curiosity was killing him as he talked with the pretty girl.

"Magic." Courtney said the word with disdain. "It's not as cut and dry as mythology makes it out to be, but that's the most basic description." She frowned. "I use it, but not when I'm here, it feels unnatural."

"What can you do?"

"Turn you into a toad." Courtney's eyes hit his and they held for a moment.

"Bullshit." Wes grinned suddenly as she laughed.

"No it's not, I could." She said through her laughter. "But it's way more complicated than I have time for." She grinned as the waitress brought the diner fries and snatched one as soon as it was between them. Wes loosened his tie and took one of the cheese and gravy covered fries, watching the ecstasy on her face as she ate them.

"Is your bodyguard watching us now?"

"Probably." Courtney's demeanor darkened. "It's hard to never have a moment alone, going out is a headache, college is a nightmare." She sighed.

"So on the Isle of Avalon, your family's important?"

"Royalty. The twin's will inherit." Courtney took a fry as Wes stared.

"Ok, you win. My Dad just takes over companies for fun. You're a princess."

"Call me that and I really will turn you into a toad." Courtney threatened him, holding a fry as if it were a weapon.

"Have mercy." Wes pleaded with a laugh, frowning as the Silver Guardian communicator went off in his pocket. "I'm sorry. Collins here."

"Wes, get to the hospital, Rachael's sick." His father's voice was panicked. Wes stood and threw some money on the table before taking Courtney's hand while he continued to speak on the communicator.

"What is it?"

"We don't know, Eric said she was quiet on the ride back, had a headache, but when they got there she passed out in the kitchen, stopped breathing." Alan sounded out of breath himself. "He got here to Silver Hills General a few minutes ago; we don't know what's going on."

"I'll be right there." Wes promised and looked to Courtney. "I…"

"Let me come with you." She whispered. "Please, I want to help."

"Ok." Wes wrinkled his brow and made it to the hospital. "Collins, admitted a half hour ago." He said to the nurse at the front reception desk who looked at the computer.

"Which one?" The nurse looked bored. "There's two, Rachael and Alan."

"It's my father and sister, either." Wes snapped, utterly confused as to what was happening around him. Courtney's hand grasped his and squeezed, tugging him to where she saw Eric standing in a chair speaking to a doctor. He was popping a few pills into his mouth as the doctor left. Wes kneeled in front of him, Courtney taking the seat next to him. "You alright?"

"I'll be fine." Eric muttered darkly, his face pale. "She got more than I did, so did your Dad." Eric didn't move from where he sat. "Are you ok?"

"I feel fine." Wes replied. It was the truth, the only way he felt bad was the sick feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. Someone poisoned Rachael. Someone had poisoned his mother. It was déjà vu.

"Wes." Courtney watched him carefully. He got off the floor and sat next to her, losing his tie and jacket after a few minutes of sitting there. Courtney sat between the two men she barely knew with her hands in her lap until the early hours of the morning.

"Courtney." A man with dark brown hair and a frown showed up after three hours.

"Liam." She stood up and moved to him. They switched to French and they argued for a few moments before he handed her a small bag. She went for the nearby bathroom as he came up to Wes.

"Liam Patricks." He introduced himself, shaking his hand.

"Wes Collins." He managed. "I'm sorry, she wanted to come."

"I know." Liam sighed and sat next to him. "She's got a heart of gold; she'd never leave anyone in their time of need. I'm sorry about your sister."

"Thanks." Wes nodded. "You should take her home."

Liam snorted with laughter just as Courtney came out of the bathroom, dress draped over her arm as she tied her hair behind her head. "You can be the one to tell her that."

"Do you know the remède?" She asked her brother who shook his head.

"Not unless she's got ailes et une queue." They traded words to French to keep their conversation from being overheard. Eric barely recognized Liam was there, he was too busy staring at the wall on the other side of the hallway and trying to not throw up the charcoal capsules he'd taken for the poison.

"Pensez-vous que la mère pourrait vous aider?" She rested her hands on her hips.

"Probably." Liam stood. "I'll go see." He kissed her forehead and left after a good bye to Wes and Eric. Courtney retook her place between Eric and Wes.

"You should go with him." Wes said with a frown to the pretty blonde.

"Nah, he's getting Mère." Courtney opened her mouth to translate.

"Mom, I know." Wes smiled weakly. "My mother was half French." He explained. "Her family spoke it sometimes; I know a few phrases here and there." Courtney smiled.

"That's why Rachael studied it."

"It's why she studied it in Boston." Wes leaned back. Talking about her was making it easier to sit there. "That and she's always had this weird thing for hockey. Grand-mère lives out there, she loved spoiling us. My little mon chou."

"Oh God my mother still calls me that." Courtney laughed. "I never understood why calling your child a cabbage was an endearment." Her she turned to look at Eric who had his eyes closed. "Are you sure he's ok?" She asked with concern.

"I'm fine." Eric muttered without moving.

"Nauseous?" Courtney asked, touching his arm. Eric grunted and opened his eyes. "You look like hell." She murmured and touched his forehead. "And you're burning up. Wes, get him some water."

"No, I'm fine."

"No. You're not." Courtney snapped. "Be damn glad I've got this covered or you'd be in a bed too."

"Stop acting like my Mom." Eric muttered, closing his eyes again. Courtney laughed and took the water Wes brought and poured it down Eric's throat. She rubbed his arm comfortingly as Wes watched. She had a real motherly streak to her personality, shooting down Eric's stubborn refusal for help and continuing to make sure he was awake and lucid.

"You are in trouble." A regal looking older woman strode down the hallway, her brown hair cut in a short bob around her head.

"Mère." Courtney frowned, but her mother shushed her and knelt by Eric.

"Please open your eyes." She requested, and Eric obeyed, looking into the same violet eyes that had been trying to sooth him for the last hour. "Now, breathe deeply." She held his hands carefully and whispered a few words. Eric's eyes went from half open to wide open and he sat up. "Take it easy, your system is still recovering, but you'll be fine."

"How…"

"Don't ask." Wes cut him off with a shake of his head. "Just accept it for now." Eric stood up and stretched out.

"Can you help Rachael?" He asked as Courtney's mother straightened.

"I can." She smiled as he turned and ran for the room. She turned to her daughter. "Mari?"

"Copain." Courtney replied as her mother turned to follow Eric to the room that held Rachael as she barely clung to life.

"I got the husband part." Wes stood behind her and Courtney turned.

"Copain means boyfriend, I was clarifying their relationship. His distress is obvious." Courtney turned and smiled. "How long have they been together?"

"Maybe six months." Wes shrugged to Courtney's surprise.

"Wow, seems like longer." She turned her eyes back to the door her mother had followed Eric to. "She lives with him?" Wes nodded and Courtney followed suit. "That's it then. It goes faster as long as you live together."

"Is that a fact?" Wes raised an eyebrow and watched her mother come out of the double room and walked toward them with her purse slung over her shoulder and came up to her daughter.

"They'll be fine." She smiled and wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Sure you don't want to adopt your sisters?"

"Not so much." Courtney wrinkled her nose at her mother before turning to Wes. "This is my mother, Arwyn Patricks, Mère, this is Wesley Collins, Rachael is his sister."

"Ah, Alan's son." Arwyn smiled and shook his hand. "I'm sorry to meet you in such unpleasant circumstances."

"Me too." Wes frowned and ran his hand through his hair. "Second time in six months she's been in here." He paced for a moment.

"I think we should go." Courtney looked to her mother who stepped away for a moment. "You should go see your father."

"I will." Wes nodded. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Easy." Courtney smiled and went to the table and grabbed a pen. She took his hand and wrote a series of numbers on it. "When things calm down, give me a call." She gave him one last smile before leaving with her mother. Wes stood frozen for a moment in the hallway and glanced at his hand reading her number over and over. Still stunned he went into the room that held his father and Rachael who were both sitting up and conversing with their doctors or nurses.

"You alright Dad?" Wes crossed his arms and his father nodded. "Strangest thing, I thought I saw Arwyn Patricks here." He frowned.

"How about that." Wes didn't bother to explain. There were too many things he had to tell his father, if he didn't already know that his friend had magical powers that had healed him, Wes wasn't going to be the one to tell him. He turned to the other side and stepped over to his sister.

"Hi." She looked up. "So you were out with Courtney?" She serenely smoothed the blanket over her legs as Eric face planted into the bed. Patting his head, she continued to stare at her brother who finally nodded.

"Yeah we went to Rosa's." He referred to the diner and waved his hand. It proved to be his mistake as Rachael caught it and held it in front of her.

"Number." She celebrated as Wes wrenched his hand from her grasp. Eric leaned back in the seat he was in and shook his head. "You going to call her?"

"I'm not sure." Wes replied honestly, looking down at the loopy numbers on his palm in blue pen. "Not until this is figured out that's for sure." His eyes met Eric's and the two men had an understanding that whoever was responsible for this wasn't going to stay free for very long.

"I'm going to take her home, and I'll meet you at headquarters around noon." Eric checked his watch, getting a frown from Rachael.

"Thank God I don't work yet." She leaned back on the pillow with a deep sigh.

"Do you want to come home with me?" Alan asked with a grin, knowing what her answer would be.

"Nah, Mrs. Bailey can threaten you to stay in bed, I'll go home to where I'm catered to." Rachael flashed a grin to her frowning boyfriend. Both Alan and Rachael were discharged around five in the morning, going their separate ways.

"At least you don't have crutches this time." Eric murmured as he carried her to their bedroom.

"Also means you don't have to be careful." She teased, kissing his cheek before he tossed her gently on their bed. He crawled on top of her and looked down. "But you're going to make me sleep now." She grinned and slid from under him, peeling off the dress she'd gotten back into after being released. He watched as she pulled on sweats and his old t-shirt and turned back to him. "What?"

"You're beautiful." Eric said simply, moving to pull her toward him and holding her close. Bewildered Rachael started at him.

"I'm wearing old sweats, my make-up is gone, and my hair hasn't been curly in hours." Her eyebrows knit together curiously.

"And you were pretty then, but right now, you're beautiful. And mine." Eric kissed her, one of those kisses that was calm and gentle, but provoked more emotion in her than anything ever could. Rachael wasn't sure when exactly she fell asleep, but it was definitely after Eric got up to change and close the blinds. And she woke up hours after he left according to the time on the short note he scrawled. She got up and pressed the coffee on, swearing her love for him as the black gold started to brew, already set up for her.


	10. Chapter 10

In town, Eric and Wes were collecting evidence from the remnants of the dinner party, hoping that BioLabs could come up with something, anything, in their new crime division. They sat in their office and detailed what had happened, who had eaten what and made a few phone calls to other people at the two different tables, finding the three had been the only ones to become ill. Wes leaned back in his seat, throwing a ball against the wall and catching it in an annoying rhythm that Eric was growing more and more irritated.

"So all we have is that it was not an accident, and was clearly targeting Rachael, Dad, and you."

"I think I was an accident." Eric's eyes followed the ball. "Rachael had a different side dish than I did; I took a bite of it."

"It would explain why you didn't get as sick." Wes reasoned.

"Dear lord." Rachael opened the door and shut it soundly behind her before falling into the chair near their desks, crossing her legs. "Lisa is really starting to tick me off; she still fights me every time I show up here." She frowned. "You guys have anything or do I need to call Bronwyn?"

"Give us a minute." Eric requested as she leaned back in her seat. "All we know is that it was directed exactly at you, we're waiting for a lab analysis of the poison.

"Dr. Zaskin said he'd take care of it for us." Wes added as he glanced at his watch and then turned to the large computer in the corner. It was a millennium behind the computers they used for Time Force, but it worked for what they needed it for, typing up reports, and searching databases they had access to. The intercom beeped and Eric answered, getting a scowl from Rachael as Lisa spoke breathlessly.

"Dr. Zaskin sent over an envelope, should I bring it?" Eric met Rachael's eyes over the desk, half afraid of the murderous glint, and half thankful for it. "No, just stay there." He shut it off. "Go murder her." He released Rachael who nearly ran from the room.

She was done. There was no way in hell she was letting the stupid receptionist continue to treat her like this after six months. "Lisa." Rachael nearly shouted the girl's name, gleefully watching her shoulders jerk back as she spun in her chair. "You're going to listen, no," she cut her off angrily, "listen. Eric is my boyfriend; you don't have a shot with him anymore. Maybe if we break up, but I don't see that happening any time soon, so back off." She snapped. "If I catch so much of a hint that you're still trying to shamelessly flirt with him, I will come down here and ensure you never work for any company associated with BioLabs or the Silver Guardians for the rest of your life. Got it?" Lisa nodded numbly as Rachael straightened. "Good. May I have the envelope from Dr. Zaskin?" She asked her voice suddenly cordial. Lisa handed it to her slowly. "Thank you." She turned on the heel of her converse sneakers and walked down to the hallway, back to the office and set it down in front of Eric.

"Do I need to cover up a murder?" He asked without looking up, voice even.

"Not today." Rachael breathed out finally.

"Good, I don't think I want to live with a murderer." Eric commented as he picked up the manila envelope and began to open it.

"I'm not sure how I feel about you making jokes." Rachael quirked an eyebrow as her brother chuckled at their interaction from the other side of the room. She ignored Wes and watched Eric read the reports and frown.

"Is there any way to send these specs to Bronwyn?" He asked and handed the paper to his girlfriend who read it over quickly.

"Sure, you still have your computer around here?" She looked back at Wes who moved from the old one and unlocked the filing cabinet and pulling the yellow case from it. The three of them were avoiding mentioning the fact they all knew. Rachael powered up the computer and input the information, getting a flushed looking Bronwyn on screen after a minute. "What have you been doing?" Rachael's eyes went to the twisted shirt on her friend.

"Nothing." Bronwyn adjusted herself. "Fine, this isn't the time." She muttered darkly and started to read over the chemical properties on the screen. "That's not good." After a few tricks she worked with the computer the information was sitting in front of Rachael.

"What are you showing me?" She looked at both graphs. "They look the same."

"That's because they are the same." Bronwyn sighed. "They're the chemical compositions of the poison you ingested, and the poison your mother ingested."

"Odds are it's the same organization." Rachael's face hardened. "Killian killed my mother, but the Vakors are still after me." Bronwyn nodded and looked off screen.

"Could you call Tripp for me? He should have the information about this." She nodded and looked back.

"Who is it Bronwyn?" Rachael raised her eyebrow errantly. "Just tell me."

"Are Eric and Wes there?"

"Hi Bronwyn." Wes called from where he was still looking through the database of known bounty hunters in their area on a hunch

"Still no." Bronwyn shook her head. "There's no information on anyone travelling to your time, nothing." She frowned. "It could be someone who lives in your time." She suggested. "Batuir and Hinal were there for eleven years, it's long enough to make connections."

"So whoever that was had to have been at the dinner." Rachael ran her hand through her hair as she thought. "That isn't much to go on; I've known most of those people my whole life."

"But not all of them." Eric said from behind the computer. "I say we go through the guest list and eliminate everyone with an alibi, and look into those we didn't see."

"I agree with Eric." Bronwyn nodded. "Send me whatever you come up with, if it's another mutant I'll get you a way to detain it, battle if needed, your morphers are still in working order?"

"Perfect." Rachael nodded. "See you later." She exited the com and picked up the phone to call her father's secretary. It was nearly midnight before they'd eliminated every elderly couple from the list and gotten a list of the employees of the catering company and ran their records through the system. Coming up with a short list of unknown persons at the entire event, they quit for the night, unable to get much further while most of their suspects were asleep.

"Are you alright?" Eric asked Rachael as they stood in their bedroom, undressing. Rachael stopped in her underwear and stared at the wall.

"Surprisingly, I am." She turned to him, pushing her bangs from her eyes and stepping close to him. "My mother's killer got what he deserved; now we're looking for the one who tried to kill me." She looked up into his face. "Are you ok?"

"I've been better." Eric admitted. Without warning he tackled her on the bed, running his mouth from her neck to her mouth and all over her face. Rachael reciprocated all of the love and attention as they turned over in the bed, tearing the sheets and pillows off so that by the end the only thing left on the bed was themselves. "God I love you." He turned over pulled her naked form closer to him.

"Mm." Rachael agreed and wrapped her arms around him. "Loving you still scares me." She laughed. "But I like it."

"Good, because you're not getting away from it." Eric kissed her neck again, assaulting her again. Morning came much too soon for the lovers, the sun found them lying wrapped up in each other, bed completely bare of anything. "Are you coming?"

"Later." Rachael promised as he dressed. "I'm going to clean for a bit." She eyed the practically destroyed bedroom, and grinned. "Then write out a lesson plan or two." She stretched. "I'll bring lunch."

"Ok." Eric agreed and leaned in to kiss her; thankful she wouldn't be there all day. He got to headquarters as Wes did, a monumental moment for him.

"I didn't sleep." He admitted, his eyes sagging and swollen.

"Obviously." Eric started to brew coffee in the small maker Rachael had brought from Boston and donated to their new office. "Drink some before Rachael gets here." He advised, getting a silent nod from his partner. "Where do you want to start?"

"The list." Wes pulled it in front of him and focused on the short list of suspects. They had a few names ranked in order of importance. "There's a few names on here that don't have any connections to any of us, but the ones who do…I just…"

"Courtney had to go on the list, she was there." Eric frowned. "It's probably not her, so we can leave her for last."

"I know." Wes shook his head and straightened in his chair. "That leaves, the waiter from your table with the criminal record, Dad's assistant Dwight, Shirley McAfee, and Mrs. Anderson's grandson." Wes put each name into the computer, and came up with nothing on the last two. Eric moved to the hologram computer, surprising Bronwyn when she appeared.

"Was there anything in the information Tripp and Lucas pulled from Killian's?" He asked.

"I like that you're smart." Bronwyn raised an eyebrow. "And you didn't tell Rachael. Tripp's been going over it; do you have anything to add?" Eric read her the names and she wrote them down to send to the green ranger. "Thanks, I'll get back to you when I can, is Rachael alright?"

"She's fine." Eric nodded and shut off the computer, moving back to his desk for a few minutes before leaving to go through a morning training session with the cadets. He returned to find Rachael entering with a large pizza from Giovanni's on his desk, both Collins' eating while reading something or other.

"Hey." She greeted him with a smile and leaned up for a kiss. "House is clean." She informed him with a smile.

"Finally good news." He teased her before sitting down at his desk and grabbed a slice of the pizza and nearly inhaled it.

"That's about it." Rachael shrugged. "We aren't finding much, and there isn't anything new from Bronwyn since you talked to her earlier." She sighed and rubbed her temples and checked her watch. "I think I'm going to go see Dad. Bye." She kissed Eric again and waved to her brother before leaving. The afternoon was Wes' turn to work with some of the younger recruits for a few hours before he returned to their desk work.

"Eric, Wes!" Bronwyn's panicked voice came onto the holograph computer. "It's Dwight."

"What?"

"Your Dad's assistant, he went to school with Hinal. I mean Brennan, either way, they were roommates, and you've got to find him." Bronwyn didn't have to say it, both Eric and Wes were out the door as soon as she finished the sentence. Eric pushed the speed limit all the way to the mansion, cutting the normal trip time in half.

"Rachael!" Eric shouted the moment they were in the front door and started up the stairs.

"Eric?" She came out and watched him curiously, eyes wide as he and her brother brushed past her. Alan stood up curiously from the desk in his home office, his assistant at his side. Wes moved for his father while Eric grabbed Dwight's collar.

"Dwight Leonard you're under arrest for three counts of attempted murder." He snarled as he placed the handcuffs on the man's wrists. "Anything you'd like to say?"

Dwight glared at him. "I'll tell the world the rangers were from the future." He whispered.

"Like anyone would believe you." Rachael's voice was cold as she spoke. "One wrong step and we'll have you arraigned there for conspiracy for murder, that'll get you life." Fear filled Dwight's face.

"No, he made me." He started squealing immediately, not holding back any piece of information. It was all recorded and sent to Time Force, who sent their own solution. Bronwyn entered the interrogation room wearing another skirt and top combination, causing Dwight to panic until she held up a small pen with a light on the end. A bright flash stunned the kid and he sat staring at the wall for a few minutes as she exited.

"Is that safe?" Wes asked curiously.

"Yeah, he's just processing. I altered his memories so that he doesn't remember anything about the year 3000, but he does remember what he did to you." She turned to Rachael. "You can prosecute without any repercussions now."

"Thanks." Rachael hugged her with one arm and steered her away from the interrogation rooms and back to Wes and Eric's office. "Now." She cornered the blonde. "Who is he?"

"Who's who?" Bronwyn tried, but her face gave her away, not to mention the blush rising on her cheeks.

"I don't know the guy who you were with at work." Rachael laughed. "God Bronwyn, having a nooner?"

"You're sick." Bronwyn frowned. "We got a little carried away."

"And I interrupted, I'm sorry." Rachael sat at Eric's desk and picked up a pencil. "Spill. Last I heard you were still in love with Lucas."

"I am." Bronwyn whispered, her eyes far off. "He changed here, he's great now." Sighing she settled into Wes' desk. "I mean he's still himself, loves that damn car, but he doesn't absorb himself with it now, he actually wants to spend time with me."

"And your ex?" Rachael narrowed her eyes. "When I was there two months ago he still worked there."

"Got mysteriously transferred to another planet." Bronwyn blushed.

"Badass." Rachael laughed and picked up the only photo on the corner of Eric's desk. It was a picture of the two of them about three months after they met, Wes had taken it outside the mansion at Mrs. Bailey's insistence.

"He doing alright?" Bronwyn looked at the photo of Wes, Rachael and their father taken at the same time.

"He met a girl." Rachael smiled. "He doesn't remember how to act around her. It's cute, she's sweet."

"Good." Bronwyn nodded. "Jen's working a lot." She shook her head. "But we're roommates now, we've gotten closer."

"Good." Rachael nodded and checked the calendar. "I'll be there in two weeks." She yawned as her friend stood. "See you then." They hugged briefly before Bronwyn opened her own traveler and created a hole in time, stepped through it and vanished. The room dimmed after the hole closed, and Rachael sat there for however long until Eric and Wes returned, both exhausted.

"Ready to go?" Eric asked her as he glanced at the clock. It was another long night, and they all had work in the morning.

"Sure thing." Rachael nodded and looked at her brother who was looking at his hand. "Call her." She urged. Wes looked up and smiled as they left. It was something to think about.

And he thought about it for days. Weeks even. He jotted her number down as soon as he got home on a piece of paper that was pinned to his door. Frustrated, he'd look at it so much he had the number memorized. So he wrote it on the desk calendar he had on the office he shared with Eric. The new larger office that they'd gotten after the Silver Guardians headquarters went through a massive overhaul. Three weeks after her second run-in with death, Rachael was up again and started teaching remedial French over the summer. Which Wes didn't imagine was hard for the pretty girl and hormonal teenage boys. Which he imagined Eric wasn't a fan of.

And he was right. After her second stint in the hospital during their relationship, Eric didn't want to let Rachael out of his sight. But he had to. Had to let her go to Silver Hills University every day where there were teenage boys. There was no reason a twenty-two year old should be teaching other twenty-two year olds, it got their hopes up. He tried not to think about it, but she came home to him, that's what was important. Or he came home to her, as she generally left school around four, and he didn't shake work until six at the earliest. Today it was almost seven before he pulled into the driveway and found her sitting at the kitchen table.

"Sorry I'm late." He offered as he came in.

"It's ok." Rachael looked up from the stack of tests she was grading. "Dinner will reheat."

"You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Curious, Rachael put down the red pen she was using and looked at him. "Am I supposed to be mad?"

"I don't know." Eric sat down. "I feel like you should be."

"That doesn't make any sense." Rachael quirked her eyebrows. "I get that you work late sometimes, I know I work late sometimes. I didn't come home until midnight that once."

"You were at Time Force." Eric pointed out, not sure where he was going with that.

"And you were with my brother. I think the only way I would be mad at you right now is if you were going to break up with me." Her face was steady, but her eyes were concerned.

"Would you murder me?" Eric asked softly.

"Probably." Rachael answered honestly.

"Ok." Eric stood and left the kitchen, pulling off his work clothes. Rachael stood and followed him.

"Ok? What do you mean 'ok'? What is wrong with you?" Frustrated she watched him with her hands on her hips.

"I mean 'ok' as in, you're not normal." Eric turned to her. "Anyone else would be mad I didn't call that I was going to be late, and breaking up with you is the last thing on my mind." He touched her arm.

"I'm not 'that girl' Eric." Rachael said with a frown as she moved closer to him. "I'm freakishly like a guy to be honest."

"I know." Eric laughed and kissed her. "Now how about that dinner?" He pushed her for the kitchen where she turned on the oven.

"Ten minutes." She turned to him.

"Enough." He decided and pushed her against the counters and commenced with a make-out session that would make horny middle schoolers jealous. When the buzzer rang she had to move him off of her to get the baked macaroni from the oven and onto their plates. "Your cooking is so good." He commented as he ate a large helping.

"Strange hobbies of mine." Rachael laughed. "And one of my girlier talents."

"It's delicious." Eric forked more into his mouth.

"Enjoy it because I'm not cooking tomorrow." Rachael sighed. "I got coerced into tutoring; I'll be until at least five."

"I'll pick up something on my way home." Eric nodded. "Chinese?"

"Alright." Rachael nodded as she stifled a yawn. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Traffic stops." Eric muttered. "Sitting in a car all day with Wes. Can't wait."

"Poor baby." Rachael laughed and took his empty plate and took it to the sink, setting it in before coming up behind him and sliding her hands on his chest from behind. "Anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"Now that you mention it." He turned and grabbed a hold of her, taking her right there on the kitchen floor before getting her to the bedroom for the second round. Resisting her was never an option he realized as she slept in his arms. She was it for him. The 'm' word was a terrifying thing, but when he imagined Rachael in place of the faceless bride in his thoughts, it wasn't so scary. She'd turned his life around in the seven months they'd been together thus far, and it felt like years. Careful to not disturb her, Eric slid out from under her and went for the spare room across the hall. It took a while of search before he found what he was looking for in the boxes of things from his mother's house that sat neatly in the corner where Rachael had put them.

His mother had taken off her wedding ring after being a widow for a few years and put it away safely. When she'd moved into the assisted living facility she insisted Eric take it, but not having much hope for any kind of relationship he'd forgotten about it. Until he had a girl he wanted to give it to. The ring was a simple square cut diamond on a silver band resting neatly in the black velvet box. It was perfect for Rachael. He stuck it in his dresser drawer before sliding back into bed, pulling her back into his arms without her knowing he'd ever left.


	11. Chapter 11

Traffic duty was easily his least favorite part of the job. Sitting in a car with Wes for several hours was not at the top of his list of things to do. Granted he and Wes had managed to become friends, mainly because Eric figured it'd be easier for Rachael if he at least tried, but asking him to stay with Wes for several hours at a time was a bit sadistic. Especially on the day he happened to stop a blonde girl in a fast yellow sports car.

"So, did you give her a ticket?" Wes grinned as Eric got back into their SUV.

"Yep." Eric took off his sunglasses and stuck them on his shirt. "I could just tell she was trouble."

"Just your type." Wes laughed.

"In case you forgot, I live with your sister." Eric frowned and started the car. "She's more your type." He started the car to drive to another of the good speed traps in the area. "Ever call Courtney?"

"No." Wes played with his sunglasses.

"Why not?"

"You sound like Rachael." Wes snorted. "She called yesterday while you were working late." He eyed Eric, pleased to see a slight wince. "Told me that Jen would want me to be happy, blah blah, girl stuff."

"She's right." Eric turned and parked the car. "Call Courtney." Wes started to respond, but the call came in on the radio, sending them into town and up against mutants like they'd never seen. They were tougher, and without the help of four other rangers to destroy them, it took longer to get anywhere, sending both men flying. Even morphing they had a hard time fighting them off, something that used to give them a crazy advantage.

Until the five other figures in spandex showed up. Different colors, but the premise was the same, and despite their attitudes, Eric was glad they were there. Until the yellow one pointed and demorphed.

"Hey, you're the one that gave me a ticket this morning! We just helped you, the least you could do is say thanks." She snapped at him, fury raging in her gray eyes. Eric didn't speak, annoyed at the pertinent blonde. A few of her friends moved to separate them, claiming a ranger connection and that should mean he shouldn't slap the smartass comment out of her.

"Alright alright." He removed the guy's hand from his shoulder. "Why don't you leave fighting the mutants, to the big boys?"

"Mutants? You mean Orgs." The kid grinned enthusiastically.

"Orgs?" Both Eric and Wes spoke and thought for a moment.

"Listen guys, we have to go, thanks for your help." Wes shook the kid in red's hand, following Eric, who was already halfway across to their SUV. "Alright, let's pack it up!" He ordered the men as Eric pulled out the cell phone they'd been given from the Silver Guardians and dialed. He held it to his ear for a minute before swearing and shutting it off.

"Rachael didn't answer." He informed Wes before looking at his watch. "She's got classes for another hour then I'll try again."

"You think she knows something?" Wes frowned at the thought of Rachael keeping information from them.

"If she doesn't, Bronwyn does." Eric shrugged as they got back into their truck and returned to base, Wes running inside for the computer while Eric supervised the Guardians as they packed up after the battle. They set it up easily, Tripp appearing instead of the usual blonde suspect.

"Wes, Eric, it's good to see you!" Tripp grinned, sincerely happy to see his friends.

"Hey Tripp." Eric didn't smile, but it was nice to see the odd green haired ranger again. It had been too long.

"Have any mutants escaped from the future?" Wes didn't bother with a pleasantry, getting a stunned look from Tripp.

"Oh, um." He looked between them guiltily. Wes glanced to Eric before looking back to his friend.

"Tripp, please, you have to tell us what you know." He said calmly and Tripp gave in.

"Time Force was tracking three fugitives in the year 3001. How they showed up in the year 2002 is beyond me." He paused for a moment before adding the harder information. "And there's something you should know. Wes, um, Jen was assigned a special mission to arrest those mutants but we lost contact with her a few weeks ago. She was supposed to contact Rachael if anything happened, but we haven't heard from her either." Tripp frowned.

"Rachael's at work." Eric looked to Wes who'd stepped away, trying to deal with the shock. Tripp cut the com and Eric clapped a hand on Wes' shoulder, the only way he knew to comfort his friend. Grabbing the phone he dialed Rachael's number again, this time getting a hit.

"Hello?" She sounded breathless.

"Where are you?" Eric didn't bother to identify himself; she could always tell it was him.

"I'm busy." Rachael sounded odd.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." She made a strange noise of frustration. "Look, I have to go, I'll be home late." She turned off the phone, getting a scowl from her boyfriend on the other side. Eric immediately found Wes and informed him about the disturbing call.

It didn't take long to formulate their plan, and they found Taylor easily, slightly misusing their power as law enforcement officers. She was walking to her car as they pulled up, getting a frown from her as they came.

"Shouldn't you guys be looking for your 'mutants' instead of giving me more tickets?" She snapped, focusing her negative energy squarely on Eric as if it was completely his fault she'd been pulled over.

"No, we need your help." Wes shook his head and Taylor smiled.

"Oh, so now you want help from us?" She looked to Eric who was about ready to snap at her.

"Listen, we think that if we can combine our knowledge here, we can stop those mutants." He stepped between her and Wes, mind still reeling about what Rachael was hiding or doing.

"First off they're not mutants, but if you guys are really serious about fighting Orgs?" She waited for Wes' nod before telling them to follow her. She took them to an island. A _floating_ island in the _sky_. And if that were enough, the giant metal thing flew over their heads. She grinned arrogantly at their stunned reactions and led them to the center where a woman came out of the water. They began discussing their situation when the partial computer went off in Wes' pocket. For the second time Tripp appeared instead of Bronwyn.

"Hey guys, oh I see you have company." Unfazed, he continued. "Anyway I've been doing some research for you, and I've got some information I think is going to help. I found out those monsters you fought earlier aren't just mutants, they're also half Org."

"What?" Surprised, Wes leaned forward as Eric frowned, crossing his arms, trying not to be so preoccupied with Rachael's odd behavior.

"In light of this evidence, Time Force has classified these suspects as Mut-Orgs."

"How can they be both mutant and org?" Alyssa asked fearfully.

"I don't know." Tripp shook his head sadly. "But I think I know someone who could help us." Wes thought for a moment before Tripp clarified. "We don't know until we try. I'll let you know what happens." He promised before signing off. Wes sighed and looked up, finding Eric off to the side, phone to his ear again.

"He always this angry?" Taylor frowned as she watched him. Wes raised an eyebrow, this girl had her own temper to contend with, pity Eric was taken.

"Only when Rachael blows him off." He watched her surprised reaction.

"Rachael?"

"My sister, his girlfriend." Wes explained to the Wild Force rangers. "We've been trying to see what she knows, but she isn't saying anything." He frowned. "We're worried about her." Eric shut off the phone and shoved it in his pocket, angrier than before.

"No answer." He snapped to Wes who shook his head.

"We should get down to Silver Hills, work our way from there." Wes looked to the five other rangers who nodded and followed as they all descended back to earth. And not soon enough in the opinions of both Time Force rangers.

Annoyed and worried about Rachael, Eric tried to distract himself by packing up a few things for their mission while Taylor stood nearby, watching Danny and Max. They were discussing their odds of beating the Mut-orgs and ended with Danny accidentally knocking Max onto his back.

"You've got some interesting friends." He commented to her disdain.

"They drive me crazy sometimes." She admitted as she watched them.

"I used to feel the same way about my friends." Eric frowned thoughtfully and left, not looking back at the concerned yellow ranger. For some reason she was easy to talk to, probably because she was a lot like him. Stubborn, got annoyed easily, and thought she'd work better alone. He remembered being like that, and regretted not being friends with the four rangers before they had to return to the future. If he could help her it would be worth it. Maybe Rachael could talk some sense into her; she'd done well with him. If he could find Rachael that was. Remembering Rachael's strange disappearance his mood darkened dangerously as they drove around on rounds.

With Danny and Max in his SUV, they got a call from Alyssa and Taylor to get to the quarry south of Silver Hills in a small town called Silver Meadows, the second in the three Silver towns. Hills was the home to BioLabs and most of the commerce in the area, Silver Lake had a large body of water that made it a type of getaway for the richer folk who lived in Silver Hills and a home for the middle class, and finally Silver Meadows, a small in between town that had one thing to be proud of, Brighton Academy, the prep school Eric and Wes had both attended years ago. Once they arrived, all seven of them faced off against the three Mut-Orgs.

"There's no retreat for the three of you this time!" Wes warned them.

"Be careful guys, we don't know what these Mut-org's are capable of." Cole added to his friends.

"Mutants, Orgs, they're going down just the same." Eric promised, hoping to release at least some energy by pulverizing one or all three of them.

"Ready guys?" Cole said the magic words and they leapt into battle. Morphing easily, Eric, Wes, and Cole took on one of them, but it didn't go as well as they hoped. The battle was entirely going the wrong direction, sending more of them to their knees than they could return the favor. Their blasts were redirected back at them, sending Wes on his back, lack of power causing him to demorph. Eric and Cole both tried to get to him, but were unable to stop the Mut-Org from advancing. It muttered something in its strange language before holding its sword threateningly to the Time Force red ranger.

Blasts from nowhere struck him and caused him to back off. Wes sat up and looked at a cloaked figure on top of a nearby hillock. They held a Time Force issue blaster in their hand as they removed their hood.

"Jen!" Wes shouted as she removed the cloak, flinging it to the side. Wearing a different type of uniform she leapt down from the hill, firing at the Mut-Orgs as she made for Wes. They exchanged a few words, but the ranger's eyes were glued to the two figures in black suits that blasted the Mut-Orgs with their own weapons, holding them off to give them all time to retreat from the battle. The Mut-Orgs did a weird movement to combine their power as the two black rangers sprinted after the other seven.

In safety, they all demorphed, revealing the identities of the remaining two of their three new companions. Rachael and Bronwyn were bent over, breathing heavily. Despite being grateful she was alive, Eric let the anger take over as he grabbed her arm. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, not liking the defiant look in her eyes.

"I can't tell you everything." She snapped back. "Jen called me, what was I supposed to do, leave her hanging?" Straightening, she adjusted her shirt and rested her hands on her hips as they faced each other, staring daggers into one another.

"Cut it out." Wes tried, but got twin glares from them.

"Stay out of it Wes." Rachael snapped and left, going for Wes' SUV rather than Eric's, too upset to speak with him. It wasn't so much that he was angry she hadn't told him what was going on; it was more of a defense mechanism due to the extreme guilt she felt about lying to him. Even though it wasn't so much lying as the inability to tell him the truth. They made it to the Animariam again, Rachael and Bronwyn going for the holograph computer that was starting to go on the fritz while Wes and Jen talked and Eric paced on the phone behind them.

"Circuit." Rachael seated herself carefully. "Captain Logan is sending us in the Time Ship to help you out! Reinforcements are on the way!" Bronwyn took a step forward and wrapped an arm around her sister, introductions around for the three women who'd just joined their group to the five Wild Force rangers and Princess Shayla. They made it to the beach in time to see the ship land, the Time Force rangers, minus Eric, running forward to hug their friends, Bronwyn and Lucas sharing a brief, but noticeable, kiss. Eric saluted from where he stood; face relaxing slowly into a smile. Jen saw the other two coming from the Time Ship first.

"Ransik." She snarled and went for her weapon.

"Easy Jen, Ransik and Nadira are here to help us." Tripp laid a hand on hers. Ransik approached Jen and faced her head-on.

"Time Ranger, we've had a long and twisted history. I've done many horrible things in the past; allow me to make up for this one." His request was eloquent. "I know it may be hard for you to believe me, but I give you my word I am here to help." Jen stared at him, struggling to find the right words to tell Ransik off as she wanted to. Bronwyn fidgeted from where she stood behind the rangers with Rachael, letting the core team have their moment until Cole broke between Wes and Jen.

"He's telling you the truth. His words come from his heart." He nodded with a half smile and Jen nodded back without returning it.

"Alright, we'll listen to what he has to say." She turned slowly and followed Wes to his SUV. The rangers followed, Lucas and Katie taking either side of Ransik while Tripp walked with Nadira. Taking a deep breath Rachael quickened her stride to catch up to Eric, her hand hanging down near his as they walked without looking at one another toward his car. Desperate to not be angry at her anymore, Eric grasped her hand as they walked across the sand. She sat in his passenger's seat with even more guys piled in the back.

They made it to the Animariam by nightfall, eating a small meal around the crackling fire before gathering to listen to Ransik speak. Eric took a seat directly next to Rachael, resting his arm comfortably around her waist. They hadn't yet spoken, but they were tired, too tired to fight. Too tired to be mad at each other for very long. Ransik began his tale, a disturbing one of a deal made with Orgs, causing the things to mutate themselves and giving Ransik his own strange powers. Rachael shuddered at the thought, getting a gentle touch from Eric in response.

It was up to Jen to accept Ransik. They all knew it. It was just one of those things they didn't have to discuss, it was clear that she was the one to decide his fate. It had always been her choice. After taking a deep breath she stood from where she'd been seated next to Wes and started to speak. "No matter how much we want to, we can't change the past. But we can work for a better future." She waved the remote over Ransik's handcuffs, causing them to fall off. Ransik extended a hand that Jen took and shook securely.

There was little conversation after that point; most of the rangers went to sleep on the several cots and piles of blankets the princess had brought out for them to use. The darkness was eerie on the Animariam, not to mention fairly cold. Danny mentioned it wasn't usually this cold before he helped the princess hand out the blankets to the visiting rangers. Eric took a blanket and passed where Wes and Jen were tucked together under one, sincerely glad they were together for a least a little while. Moving over to Rachael, he draped the blanket over her shoulders where she sat away from the fire. The fire reflected in her eyes as she watched her brother and Jen interact on the other side. She leaned into Eric as he sat next to her, sighing deeply.

"I am sorry." She said after a while.

"Me too." Eric rubbed her arms through the blanket. "I know you can't tell me everything."

"I want to." Rachael picked at the buckles on his cargo pants. "But I can't."

"I can accept that." He kissed her forehead. "Unless it has to do with our friends."

Rachael looked up at him with a grin on her face. "How long have you considered them friends?"

"Shush." Eric wrapped his arms around her and rocked her, getting a little laugh before she leaned up and opened the blanket to let him in, lying quietly on his chest in the warmth.

"I love you." She murmured sleepily her eyes closing. Suddenly the tiny piece of silver in his pocket found ten pounds heavier. Breathing deeply, he slid it out and stared at it in the firelight. At the last minute he'd stuck it in his pocket, meaning to go to the jewelers after work to have it cleaned before asking her, but there was no better time.

"Rachael." He said her name softly, watching her eyes flutter open and look up at him. Never had he seen such a contented person. Wordlessly he held the ring out to her. She looked down for a moment before her eyes widened and bolted back to his face.

"Eric?" Her voice was faint.

"Will you marry me?" The question was now out and hanging between them. Neither realized they weren't breathing until Rachael breathed out on one syllable.

"Yes." Recovering her composure a bright smile took over her face. "Oh God Eric, yes." Her voice was hoarse as she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

"I love you." Eric murmured as he held her close, the ring safely grasped in his hand.

"Trying to make an honest woman out of me?" Rachael teased him as she eased back.

"Attempting to." Eric took her left hand and slid the ring over her knuckles. He kissed her hand, insurmountable joy filling his chest.

"Dad's going to be thrilled." Rachael laughed as she looked at the ring. "Guess this fight's beginning." She looked up. "Me versus Dad on wedding details. I want small, he'll want massive." She wrinkled her nose. "I guess he's paying, but you want to elope?"

"No such luck." Eric obliged her kissing. "Mom and Grace would kill me."

"Grace is not allowed to turn my wedding yellow." Rachael ordered before laughing quietly. Despite the life changing moment they'd just experienced, no one else on the Animariam was the wiser, except one omniscient princess who was smiling at the newly engaged couple.

"I'm not sure she'll be able to do much from Florida." Eric grinned and pressed his forehead to hers.

"Good. Though I do want her to have a part in it, or to meet her before the actual wedding." Rachael suddenly grinned and curled into him again. "We're making wedding plans, God this is foreign."

"You're telling me." The fear set in, a good kind of fear that made him feel utterly alive. He was going to marry Rachael Collins, Wes' sister, his boss' daughter, and the only person that could get under his skin. A year ago he didn't have a prayer of ever getting married, and he was fine with that, but now. Now he couldn't imagine another moment without her. He stood and pulled her with him, settling them both into a nest of blankets on the floor near the others as the fire died, as a single cot wouldn't hold the both of them.

Rachael woke completely warm and cocooned in blankets. Eric was sitting with Wes, presumably discussing some kind of strategy. Slightly annoyed he'd left her; she sat up, stretched and caught sight of the glint on her left hand. Grinning uncontrollably, she kept her mouth shut as she wandered for the delicious smell coming from the white ranger. Though she was an alright cook herself, Alyssa seemed to have a magic touch with breakfast food, but the yellow ranger proved to be more interesting to talk to.

"How'd you meet the idiots?" Rachael asked in reference to her brother and secret fiancé.

"Gave me a ticket." Taylor frowned and glared daggers at them. "I was just testing out my new car."

"What kind?" Rachael inquired.

"Mustang."

Rachael nearly choked on her bite of food, getting a wide eyed look from the yellow ranger and a few others nearby. "No way, 2002?" Taylor nodded slowly. "I have to see it. Have to. I have a '69." She explained. "Built it myself, it's my baby." They launched into a detailed discussion about their cars and promised to show them off at the next available time. But reality checked in too soon as Shayla's water fountain nearly exploded at them, images of the Mut-Orgs shimmering on the surface.

"That's why they went back in time!" Princess Shayla looked concerned as the large group of people gathered together. "To join forces with the Master Org in the 21st Century."

"So they could re-write the future." Ransik balled his hands into fists as Cole spoke.

"We've got to stop them. Let's go."

They split up into several groups, Rachael going with Bronwyn while most of the others were in groups of twos and threes. Armed, they hunted for the Mut-Orgs, not seeing any on the higher tiers of the reactor plant.

"So." Bronwyn was bursting to comment on the change in her friend's mood and jewelry. "Nice ring."

Rachael's face flushed red as she grinned. "I can't even be mad at you right now." She laughed. "I'm so excited."

"Congratulations." Bronwyn pulled her into a quick hug. "When did it happen? I didn't see it yesterday."

"Last night." Rachael nodded and twisted her head sharply as the sounds of fighting echoed up from the main warehouse. The fighting had begun, putrids swarming everywhere, and it didn't take long before they were engulfed as well. Rachael felt good about the battle, until she was hanging over the railing, her grasp on the railing the only thing keeping her alive.

"Rachael!" Bronwyn shouted. Her arms gripped the railing as tightly as she could while her friend fought off the dozens of putrids trying to tear her off of it. "Morph!"

"I can't reach it!" Rachael shouted back, losing her grip on the railing, falling more and more.

Swearing, Bronwyn grabbed her traveler and opened the com. "Rachael needs help." She said the few words, knowing at least two of them would sprint to help her.

"Bronwyn!" Rachael yelled as she lost her grip from a good hard kick by a putrid. The sensation of falling was sickening, but before she hit the ground she was enveloped by a pair of arms that landed her safely on the ground.

"You ok?" Eric breathed heavily as he inspected her through his ranger helmet.

"Yeah." Rachael nodded and stood up. "Thanks." She touched his arm as her eyes moved to the battle. "There's time." She pulled out her morpher and was sheathed in black spandex in a few minutes, sprinting with him for the battle. Bronwyn joined and the twin black rangers lined up with the Time Force group, firing their weapons all at the same time, reducing the Mut-Orgs to nothing.

But seeing Nadira cry over her father's body was heart-wrenching. Until they stood. It truly was a miracle, as Ransik grinned at them, face and body completely healed. The happiness didn't seem like it could get any better as they moved forward to congratulate them.


	12. Chapter 12

After running home for a quick change they went to a large meadow outside of Turtle Cove for a picnic. The rangers misbehaved for hours, eating good food and bothering each other. Midway through the meal Katie held up her hands and called for quiet. "Ok, ok, I just want to say how upset I am right now?"

"What?" Wes didn't believe his ears, and neither did any of the other rangers as a few voices asked why.

"I feel out of the loop." Her eyes found Rachael and she knew the secret was out. "How long have Eric and Rachael been engaged?" The uproar was loud enough to disturb the Wild Zords, and cause Rachael to step between Eric and Wes, the latter of whom looked murderous. Rachael flung her arms around her brother as she laughed.

"Last night." She breathed through the laughter.

"Congrats." Wes hugged his sister tightly, a grin spreading on his face. Rachael laughed and hugged him back, releasing him for the swarm of hugs that made it her way. The large group split off for a while, Eric finding himself without Rachael as she and Taylor went to compare their cars. He ended up watching Katie beat Danny at arm wrestling, finding it easy to laugh along with them for once. Lucas and Bronwyn were suspiciously missing, and Jen and Alyssa were judging Wes and Cole racing on foot. The afternoon was glorious, a distraction from the hard good bye that was coming.

"I'm going to miss you." Wes admitted with a frown as he and Jen stole a minute to themselves before she had to leave again.

"Don't." A tear fell from her eyes as she moved into his arms. "This can't work, we know that."

"I know." Wes sighed.

"You should move on." Jen wiped her eyes and straightened, trying to separate herself from him a bit. "We both should."

"Closure." Wes nodded as if he agreed, but his heart was tearing in two for the second time over this woman.

"Right." Jen nodded slowly, crossing her arms across her chest. She smiled weakly and stepped forward to wrap her arms around him. They held for a few minutes before pulling apart. "Go find yourself a pretty girl." She tried to joke, but it hurt too much.

Wes immediately pictured a certain blonde in a black dress and nearly kicked himself. Here he was with the woman he loved for probably the last time in person and he was thinking about another girl he barely knew. He squeezed Jen tight and took her hand, leading her to the Time Ship and put her on it for the second time. For the second time watching her leave for her own time. This time it was just Rachael, him and Eric on the beach, having left the Wild Force rangers to return to their own duties. Rachael moved forward and hugged him.

"You're going to be ok." She whispered the words of assurance.

"I know." Wes hugged his sister again. "I can't believe I saw her. It's like a dream."

"I know." Rachael sighed. "Take a few days, get back to work." She suggested and grinned. "Then call Courtney." Wes scowled and tried to hit her, but she dodged him, running for Eric who shook his head at the sibling's antics.

"Sure you want to marry this?" Wes asked the Quantum Ranger who grinned.

"Definitely."

"Good luck to you." Wes rolled his eyes and tried to make for her again, getting only air as she dodged him.

Eric chuckled. He didn't need luck with Rachael. And judging how they spent the rest of the afternoon and evening privately celebrating their engagement, things were going to turn out fine for them. During a brief interlude he held her hand up to the dimming light shining in from the window watching the diamond refract light across the room. They didn't need to speak, for now it was just the two of them, basking in their love. It was strange to consider themselves in love, but there they were, naked while it was still daylight, wrapped up in each other's arms. It surprised him when she started to laugh.

"What?" He nuzzled her neck, trying to get an answer.

"They say when you get engaged you should have to deal with each other sick, at their worst." She laughed. "I've been deathly ill twice and you've never so much as had the sniffles."

"Are you trying to jinx me?" Eric frowned as she continued to laugh. Instead of answering, Rachael stretched out on the uncovered bed, her lithe limbs catching his full attention. "Now you're taunting me." He growled and covered her body with his, attacking her sense so that they were no longer conscious of anything but the other.

The days flew by in a flurry of informing their family of their engagement and dealing with the specific reactions. Grace had immediately flown in from Florida to meet Rachael, and accompany them to inform Leta Myers about her son's engagement. Alan had been thrilled, and, just as Rachael had predicted, began to plan the wedding without them. Which in turn had Rachael meeting with him for negotiations often, almost as if it was a business transaction between the two of them instead of his daughter's wedding.

"Ok." Rachael pushed open the door to Eric's office, pleased to see Wes wasn't there. She sat down in the folding chair that was used for the occasional perp, and sighed. "Dad has agreed to our guest list for the wedding if we have an engagement party in the next couple weeks."

"Oh God." Eric frowned. "Not another dinner."

"I know." Rachael leaned forward and took his face in her hands. "This is the last time he'll have control of my life, unless you want to pay for this." She grinned as he frowned more. "We'll get through this." She kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too." Eric kissed her as he stood up, leaving her to close and lock the door.

"You're not serious." Rachael stared at him in disbelief. Eric picked her up and sat her on the desk, kissing her deeply. He moved to her neck, enjoying her moans of delight. "Oh God you are serious."

"Please shut up." Eric requested as he didn't stop what he was doing. Rachael was all too happy to oblige and stopped talking, using her mouth for better purposes.

When Wes found the door to his own office locked, he left without question, not wanting to know what was going on behind the door. He wandered the halls for a few minutes before deciding if Eric was going to lock him out of the office, he was going to go home early. But he couldn't focus at home either. It had been two weeks since he'd seen Jen, but it still hurt. It didn't help that thoughts of Courtney were now haunting him. How could he possibly be in love with one woman, and have sincere feelings for another? Confused, he took his car for a drive for the first time in quite a while, ending up at the Rosa's diner on the edge of town. He sat in a different booth and eyed the one he'd sat in with Courtney suspiciously, completely missing the figure approaching him.

"Fancy seeing you here."

"Are you really here, or am I hallucinating?" Wes looked up at Courtney in utter shock. She laughed and sat down.

"Well there are ways to find out, but that's up to you." She looked younger today, maybe it was the daylight coupled with her loose blonde hair. "Having a late lunch or an early dinner?" she glanced at the clock behind him on the wall curiously.

"Escaping my sister and her fiancé." Wes scowled at the thought.

"Fiancé?" Courtney grinned. "Eric finally gave in."

"He's whipped." Wes agreed with a chuckle and shook his head. "But it makes things unbearable."

"Who is she?" Courtney leaned forward, her violet eyes bright.

"Excuse me?" Wes was startled.

"The girl that's got you all messed up." She smiled and leaned back. "I guessed it that first night, but I wasn't sure." She flagged down the waitress and ordered a cup of coffee. "Your utter disgust at your sister's engagement kind of gives it away."

"That obvious." Wes slunk back in his seat with a frown. "She was the pink ranger." He admitted. "We never had a chance, and she lives too far away."

Courtney thought for a moment before leaning in again. "You know, I admitted to you that I was a magical being, and you won't tell me the real reason you're depressed over this girl?"

"Fine." Wes frowned at her insistence. "Do you have time?"

"Sure." Courtney shrugged. "I was checking out Silver Hills U, been thinking about transferring. Their program is infinitely better." Wes started explaining the entire ordeal from the beginning, telling the story of the Time Force rangers. Everything from meeting Jen at the mansion, moving out of his father's house and into the clocktower, seeing Eric again, Rachael's return, repairing his relationship with his father, everything, right down to the mission two weeks prior. Courtney sipped her coffee as she listened, only having him pause for a few moments to order food for the both of them. "That's heavy." She frowned.

"You're telling me." Wes sighed, taking a bite of the food that had arrived sometime during his story.

"So long distance isn't even attempted?" Courtney asked curiously, getting a negative snort from Wes.

"Not unless I'm suddenly given Rachael's traveler."

Courtney was quiet for a moment as she ate her food, pointing to the door where a girl with jet black hair was coming in, heading straight for them.

"Courtney." Rachael's eyebrows lifted in surprise as she saw the woman across from her brother.

"You and Eric finish?" Wes teased, pleased to get her to blush.

"Sorry." She muttered and sat next to him, stealing a fry off of his plate. "Anyway, I tried to find you at the house, saw your truck here. We're being blackmailed into an engagement party on Saturday night, make sure you're there."

"Do I need a date?" Wes looked at his sister who shrugged.

"I don't know, as the man forcing me into this ordeal." Rachael stood. "I have to go call Grace, she wants me to do things, I don't like this." She frowned. "I just want to get married, eloping sounds awesome right now. I'll see you later. Nice to see you Courtney." She smiled and waved to the blonde before leaving.

"Want to go with me?" Wes asked Courtney, getting a look of surprise from her.

"Are you sure?"

"Why not, we're friends, aren't we?" Wes bit his sandwich again, half heartedly waiting for her answer.

"Sure." Courtney nodded slowly. "This isn't a date though." She drank her coffee. "You aren't ready to date anyone, especially not me."

"Why especially not you?"

Courtney didn't answer at first. "Dating me would be complicated even if you weren't in love with someone else." She said slowly. "I told you about my mother and who she is, I can't ask anyone to deal with that."

"What if they want to?" Curious, Wes nudged the conversation along. Courtney knit her eyebrows together and leaned back, pulling her gray hoodie close to her body.

"That would be different." She said softly.

"Maybe you should give someone a chance." Wes said with an odd look on his face.

"Maybe." Courtney agreed and put a few dollars on the table and stood. "I'll see you Saturday. Call me for the details, do you have my number?"

"I've got it." Wes nodded with a slight grin.

"It's my cell; you can get me any time." She left quickly. Wes pulled out his own cell phone and dialed quickly, watching her through the window as she looked at the unfamiliar number and answered. "Hello?"

"I'm sorry it took me so long to call." Wes watched Courtney freeze, her back to him, determined to not turn around. "You did say when things calmed down, but they only seem to be getting worse. But I'm calling. Would you go to my sister's engagement party with me?"

"Sure." Courtney replied with a strained voice. "Call me with the details." She hung up and walked to a small, but brand new car parked near his older one. Vaguely wondering if Rachael had planned this, he finished his coffee slowly, taking his time. Feeling strangely optimistic for the first time in two weeks he stood, determined to but his feelings for Jen behind him and focus on someone new. Someone available. Maybe life was going to take a turn for the good.

Eric wasn't so sure. Maybe it was because Rachael was never around much anymore, or that he was getting forced into wedding activities and plans he knew were going to bore him to death. Sitting at the kitchen table he examined the short list of his family Rachael had pulled together to approve for the guest list. Then there was the main guest list with a few names in red at the bottom. There was no way they could tell if their friends from the future were going to be able to make their wedding, but Rachael kept their names on the tentative list. Eric had no idea how that was going to work, especially if Wes was actually seeing someone else.

"You're early." Rachael came in the door, carrying two very full bags of groceries. He took them out of her arms and helped her put them away, getting a kiss for his troubles.

"Wes and I quit early." He shrugged.

"He say anything about Courtney?" Rachael inquired.

"No." Eric shook his head and moved to pin Rachael against the fridge. "Is it my job to spy on your brother?" He muttered darkly as she grinned.

"Pretty much." She kissed him. "Don't lie; you're worried about him too." Eric grunted in response as she ducked under his arm and pulled a pair of beers from the fridge. "I'm glad he's reaching out, but I just hope he doesn't go from one to the other."

"Right." Eric wasn't entirely sure, but she sounded sure of herself, so that was good enough for him.

"Did you look at the list?"

"Sort of." He glanced back at the stacks of paper on the table. "It's good." Rachael watched his wary look at the wedding information. She didn't like the details anymore than he did.

"That's it." She put down her beer and picked up the phone. Confused, Eric watched her quietly. "Hey Dad. Yes I did, no, wait Dad. I think I want the wedding planner now. I can't handle this; neither of us know what to do here." She reached out and touched Eric's arm as she spoke. "Yeah, just find one and I'll get them the information. Ok, thanks. I love you, bye." She hung up and smiled at her fiancé. "Done." She kissed him soundly.

"I don't know what you just did."

"I just gave up on planning this thing myself." She wrinkled her nose. "I was trying to do it for us, but I'm just not a party-person, and neither are so, so I'm done spending all this time away from you." She moved her face close to his. "Now we sit back and relax." She grinned as a smile grew on his face.

"Good, I missed you."

"I could tell, especially yesterday." Rachael flushed at the memory. It wouldn't have been a big deal if Wes hadn't caught them, but he had.

"I'm not sorry."

"I'm not asking you to be." Rachael glanced at the fridge. "Food?"

"Later." Eric silenced her in seconds, the both of them all too willing to forget the complicated ceremony part of their impending nuptials for the part they wanted. It was all too easy to ignore the world when they were together, and being in each other's company for hours and it only ever felt like minutes. It felt like a miracle every time he woke up in the morning and found her either in his arms or splayed out on the other side of the bed. Either way she was there and she was his. And no one else's.

Until the phone rang. Groaning, she turned over and buried her face in the pillow, leaving him to stop the offending noise. "What?" He growled.

"Good morning to you too."

"I'm going to kill you." Eric promised as Wes' voice came through; eerily awake at barely six in the morning. "Rachael won't even save you from this."

Wes ignored the death threat and responded cheerfully, "She will when she hears why, give her the phone." Without responding to Wes, Eric put the phone near Rachael's ear. After a minute she was sitting up, bleary eyed and listening intently to her brother.

"Ok, yeah sure." She reached for the bedside table where random papers sat. "It starts at 6. Yeah. I can do that. See you." She hung up and looked at Eric. "He asked Courtney to the party." She was dumbfounded. "He asked her. Like as a date." She clarified, more to herself than anyone. She fell back on the bed, breathing out in one loud sigh. "He's trying."

"Good." Eric watched her curiously.

"I know it's good, it's just soon. And weird." Rachael sat up and kissed him quickly before sliding from the bed and pulling on one of his shirts. Absently she went to the kitchen and put together coffee. They took the time they had that morning to relax in each other's company with the coffee, just quiet for once. But they had to return to the real world, which included their own engagement party three days later, which was very scary for two other people, one of which was pacing her modest apartment in sheer panic.

"I can do this." Courtney muttered to herself, closing her eyes and pressing her fingers to her temples. "He still loves Jen, he asked you because you're friends." She repeated the same phrase over and over, the same one she'd been telling herself for the five days since she'd seen Wes at the diner. Those five days had been interesting. He'd called her the next day with a few details and their conversation had been short, but left her in a mood that frightened her fourteen year old identical twin sisters. So she'd gone back to her apartment to pace in peace.

Frustrated she went to her bathroom and started taking a long shower, then carefully blow drying her hair into its usual blonde feathers. She arranged it with a clip before applying the perfect amount of make-up to highlight her violet eyes before searching for the dress her mother had sent her the day before. If there was one thing her mother knew, it was what her daughter should wear. Courtney managed to zip up the back of her short emerald green dress as a knock sounded from the front door to her apartment.

Heart beating erratically, she opened the door and mustered up her best smile. Instead of seeing Wes as she expected to, a bouquet of flowers was presented in front of her. That wasn't helping.

"Oh." She breathed the word out, taking the purple irises and inhaled their fresh scent. "They're beautiful."

"They match your eyes." Wes shrugged with a grin, hands stuffed into the pockets of his khakis. He wore a blue button down shirt without a tie and a black suit jacket.

"Thanks." Courtney grinned and took them to the kitchen, pulling a vase from a cabinet and arranging the flowers, her mind losing hold of the mantra she'd been repeating earlier. She slid her jacket over her arms, slipped her feet into a pair of velvet black heels and picked up her purse before facing him. "Shall we?"

Wes opened the door for her and gestured. "Ladies first." The grin on his face was irresistible and Courtney grinned back as he caught up to her. "This is a very nice apartment building." He commented.

"Part of the bargain." Courtney sighed. "I can live somewhere other than home, but Mère got to pick. At least she pays too."

"Not bad." Wes opened the main door in the lobby for her. His black convertible sat there. The top was up, but the make was obvious.

"Not bad yourself." Courtney commented with raised eyebrows.

"Eighteenth birthday present." Wes opened the door for her and ran around to get in. "Dad let us pick what kind of car we wanted, any kind." He started the engine and pulled from the curb. "Rachael picked the shell of a '69 Mustang and built it herself."

"Wow." Impressed, Courtney leaned back. "I've never been much of a car person." She admitted.

"Me either." Wes laughed. "I picked this because a friend from school told me he wanted one. I figured why not."

"I'd like to drive one of these." Courtney eyed the wheel wistfully. "Apparently a conservative, sturdy car is much more appropriate for a woman of my, station."

"That's tough."

"In case you're wondering, eating in diners is also included." Courtney tested the waters with the joke, getting a genuine chuckle from her companion. "As is wearing short skirts, going to clubs, piercings, and spending the night in the hospital with guys."

"Let me guess, you know from firsthand experience?" Wes asked as he made the final turn toward the restaurant where the party was being held.

"Oh yes." Courtney laughed, letting herself out of the car before he could open the door for her. In revenge he took her arm and led her for the door, taking her jacket in the small alcove. The maître d' looked up and down at the couple, smiling unexpectedly.

"Ah, romantic dinner for two?" He asked with a grin and Wes shook his head.

"No, we're here for the Collins-Myers engagement party." The man smiled and nodded, taking them to the back of the restaurant and outside again where a large garden had dozens of table. Stepping outside Courtney gasped. There were thousands of lights strung everywhere, a small table set up near the door with a guest book and small boxes tied with silver bows for each.

"Courtney!" Rachael came from nowhere, dressed in an elegant black dress that hit her knees with a white sash, her black hair tied behind her head in a bun, green eyes shining. The two women hugged briefly before Courtney took Rachael's hand to inspect the ring.

"Very nice." She commented with a sincere smile. "Where is he?"

"Hiding." Rachael laughed. "I wish I could too, but it's a part of the deal." Her smile was weak and looked as if she truly wished she was somewhere very far from where she was. Emerging from some place, Eric came up behind his fiancé and smiled at Courtney.

"Congratulations." She smiled. "The ring is beautiful."

"It was my mother's." Eric got a funny grin on his face and turned his head to look at a woman in a wheelchair sitting with Alan Collins having a lively conversation. She looked frail, and very ill, but the resemblance was there.

"I haven't met your mother." Wes grinned, getting the familiar scowl from his partner.

"You will, she's staying with you and Dad until the wedding." Rachael smiled and checked the dainty silver watch on her wrist. "When did you say Grace and Sawyer were going to get here?"

"Their plane got in an hour ago; she said they'd make it." Eric glanced at the door and then to Courtney who was smiling politely. "Sorry, Grace is my older sister; she and her husband flew in from Florida for this."

"That's wonderful." Courtney smiled. "Your families are coming together."

"Don't tell Mrs. Bailey." Rachael laughed as she eyed the woman who'd helped her and Wes grow up. "She'll drag out a camera and we'll never get home."

"Please no." Wes pleaded. Unfortunately for them it happened. But probably because the wedding planner Alan had hired had in turn hired a photographer, and once Grace and her husband were in their midst, photographs were taken before the natural light died. Courtney watched good naturedly from the side as picture after picture was taken, ensuring this night would never be forgotten, though it was hard to see how any of them ever would. Courtney found herself seated between Wes and Grace for dinner, at the same table with Rachael, Eric, Alan, and Leta, and Grace's husband, feeling slightly out of place as they ate the French cuisine.

"Your eyes are amazing." Grace commented as they ate. "They're really purple."

"They run in my family." Courtney laughed, used to the attention her eyes usually brought her. "We've had them for thousands of years."

"That's amazing." Grace shook her head in wonderment. She herself had dark brown hair cut very chic around her head, definitely a soccer mom style that fit her well. They danced around a plethora of subjects in polite conversation before the dinner was over, and Courtney managed to look fascinated while Grace spoke of each of her four monstrous children, as Eric referred to them. "They'll definitely be here for the wedding." Grace nodded.

"Good." Leta smiled. "I want to see them, and they need to meet their new Aunt Rachael." She sent an adoring look to her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. "Before they get cousins." Her comment, combined with both Eric nearly choking on his water and Rachael's eyes widening in surprise, had Wes into laughter.

"Not any time soon." Rachael shook her head almost frantically. Leta smiled serenely, smoothing her hands over the blanket tucked around her legs.

"Mom." Eric tried to say something weakly, but gave up at her smile. It was too nice to see his mother smiling to be upset at her comment. Leta seemed to be improving health wise, despite her fatal prognosis by the doctor. Making a mental note to get her a new one, they continued the meal, the other guests coming over to say good bye, pulling him and Rachael from their food.

By ten it was over, and a few stragglers were occupying Rachael while Alan and Eric were getting Leta into the car to get her back to the mansion. Courtney sighed contentedly before Wes came from behind her.

"Come on." He took her hand in his, pulling her from the restaurant and putting her coat over her shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Courtney hissed. Leaving without saying good bye was rude, very rude, and if there was one thing she'd been taught throughout her life, it was that rudeness was not tolerable. Wes didn't answer but got her to the car and handed her the keys.

"Let's see how fast she can go."

"You're letting me drive?" Courtney started at the convertible for a moment, and froze as Wes took down the top and climbed in the passenger's seat. "Tell me," Courtney was nearly shaking as she sat in the driver's seat and felt the power of the engine under her hands, "Are you always this reckless?"

"Are you always so uptight?" Wes countered her question with another, getting a narrow eyed glare.

"Yes." Courtney replied honestly and floored it.

She lied. She was a very bad liar too. Wes had to hold on as she turned corners, but she did so with ease, pushing the speed limit in some places, completely ignoring them in others. It was like having Lucas driving next to him again, except this time it was a pretty blonde girl laughing with ecstasy. It was over an hour before she pulled up in front of her apartment building in Briarwood.

"That was amazing." She breathed out, a healthy red glow staining her cheeks.

"You're a very good driver." Wes laughed. "Had me on the edge of my seat."

"Wimp." Courtney laughed good naturedly and got out of the car, grabbing her purse and turning back to him. Wes had gotten out and was walking next to her. "I had fun tonight, I like Eric's sister." She commented, tucking her hair behind her head from where the car had loosened it. "Your new brother."

"God I didn't think about that." Wes shook his head as he held the door open for her. "Eric's going to be my brother-in-law." Courtney laughed as they climbed the stairs.

"I really don't think I'd mind. He seems nice enough."

"You've never been on his bad side." Wes chuckled as he followed her. "He can be pretty nasty."

"I can see it." Courtney looked thoughtful. "But he's got a good heart; otherwise I don't think Rachael would give him the light of day."

"Probably why I didn't fight her too much when she told me she liked him." Wes sighed.

Courtney laughed as she reached her door and unlocked it. Pushing it open a little she turned back to him and smiled. "I had a really great time tonight."

"So did I." Wes grinned with his hands in his pockets. "We should do something soon."

"We should." Courtney agreed with a short nod, hesitating. Wes took her arm and their eyes locked for a moment.

"Your choice." Wes said softly, only warmth in his blue-gray eyes. It took her a second to decide and took one step forward closer to him. She tilted her head up, meeting Wes in the middle where their lips gently collided. They held for a moment before breaking apart. Flushed, Courtney took a deep breath before looking back at him.

"Good night."

Wes barely had time to say the words after her as she disappeared into her apartment and quickly closed the door. Because she didn't let him. Breathing erratic, she leaned against the door and stared blankly into the room. That was stupid. Really stupid. She'd never tell him, never ever, but that chaste kiss was her first ever. Her first kiss at twenty years old. She slid to the floor, back still pressed against the door, wide eyed. Then she giggled, stood and twirled around her apartment until the early hours of the morning.


	13. Chapter 13

As carefree as she was, two others were quietly dressing down from the party, thoughts distracting them both. Eric sat on the bed and watched Rachael remove her jewelry and place it carefully in her mother's box, clean her face from make-up with those weird things girls had, and freed her long hair from the pins that had held it close to her head all night. Strange how the little things about her were fascinating where on other women were very annoying. She pulled on her sleep clothes and crawled onto the bed, lying on his chest.

"Do you want kids?" She rolled so that her head was on his lap, looking up at him as he rested his back against the backboard. "We never talked about it." She added with a frown.

"Do you?" Eric asked curiously.

"Well, yeah." Rachael looked up at the ceiling. "Not now or anytime soon. Not while I work this much for Time Force. But someday. Do you?" She repeated, returning her eyes to his face.

"Whatever you want." Eric leaned down and kissed her forehead. Laughing, Rachael pushed his head away.

"Seriously."

"Seriously." Eric looked down at her, his hand toying with her hair. "If you only want one, I'll be fine with that, if you want ten, we'll get a bigger house."

"But I like our house." Rachael frowned for a moment before grinning. "So we'll have to add-on."

Eric laughed and leaned in to her as her nose wrinkled. "Is that so?"

"It is." She said and grabbed his head, running her fingers through his hair. "I love you." Eric kissed her deeply, pulling her into a better position. At least one better for kissing, something he liked to do often with her. But something she'd said stuck with him.

"How long do you plan on working for Time Force?"

Rachael sighed and rested her head against him, the rest of her body resting over his. "I don't know, it'll probably go something like with my mother. I'll work for a while, take time off to have kids, do way less, check in once a year. Probably focus on my teaching more."

"Will our kids speak French?" Eric thought the question was absurd, but the look she gave him told him he was dead wrong. "Do I need to learn French?"

"Not if you don't want to be able to speak to me and our children on occasion." Rachael laughed as he muttered and pinned her on her back.

"You're lucky I love you." He muttered looking down at her. Feigning innocence, Rachael looked up at him with a sweet smile he was all too eager to wipe off with his own mouth. "Do we have a wedding date?"

"Why the hell are you talking so much?" Rachael looked incredulously up at him and sat back on the bed, looking at him. "January 11th at the mansion, you should get an invitation to your wedding sometime in December. Please RSVP at least two weeks prior to the ceremony." She quirked her eyebrow. "Any other questions?"

"Just one; why aren't you naked?" Eric grabbed her shirt and pulled it off of her to sounds of approval from her. A glint of light reflected from her belly button. "Why do you do this to me?" He muttered and took her down onto the bed, taking his own shirt off as he went. Rachael didn't answer, grasping at his drawstring pajama bottoms to remove them as best she could with her mouth occupied.

By the time sunlight came in through the single window in their bedroom Rachael was laying on his chest, tracing the lines of his sculpted abdomen absently. They never slept more than a few minutes, and neither minded. Eric had his hand on her head, stroking her hair gently, staring at the wall. After a while she moved to look at him. "Do you have to work today?" Her voice was quiet.

"No." Eric kissed her forehead. "Want to stay here all day?"

"Ok." Rachael curled her body closer to his, sighing happily. This was the good life. "We're getting married in three months." She whispered. "But we have our first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, first New Years." The weight of it settled as she listed the holidays, the seriousness of what they were doing. "I'm glad your mother doesn't hate me."

"Are you kidding?" Eric couldn't help but be surprised.

"No, a bad mother-in-law is a girl's worst nightmare." Rachael sighed. "Or sister-in-law, but Grace likes me. And Courtney. I like Courtney."

"Me too." Eric looked at the wall. "Her eyes are weird."

"They're not weird, they're unique." Rachael argued.

"They're purple." Eric retorted. "You have unique eyes, they're really green, but that's still a normal color."

"Says the man with boring brown eyes."

"Hey, chances are our kids will have brown eyes." Eric teased her as she laughed. "All ten of them." He added to gage her reaction, pleased with the shocked look on her face. "I'm kidding; I meant it when I said as many as you want."

"Good." Rachael sat up ad looked for the sheet, finding it on the floor, too far away. Tired, she leaned back and rolled over to touch him, resting her nose at his chin, finally getting to sleep.

Across town Wes sat at his desk and stared at the pen in his hand, either trying to make it burst into flames from concentration, or his mind was somewhere else. Indeed it was, as Courtney's face kept invading his mind. Her eyes and that strange look on her face after he'd kissed her, and how confused he'd been when she practically ran into her apartment. Despite how she'd left suddenly and in a confusing manner, here he was, sitting at his desk at seven in the morning, waiting for an appropriate time to call her. Eric had the day off, so he had the office to himself while Rachael forced her fiancé into wedding planning activities.

It hopefully meant he'd get a few hours of quiet before calling Courtney. A light beeping confused him for a moment, but he dug the holographic screen out from the filing cabinet and set it up on Eric's desk.

"Wes." Bronwyn smiled as she appeared on the screen. "Nice to see you."

"You too Bronwyn." Wes grinned. It was odd to see Bronwyn and not think about Jen, but he was trying, finding picturing Courtney did the trick. "What's up?"

"Where's Eric?"

"Sleeping with my sister." Wes replied, smiling at Bronwyn's laugh.

"Sorry to bring that up." The blonde shook her head. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you two about." She smiled. "I want to figure out a way to get us all there for their wedding. With the right tweaking I think we can get Alex to agree." Wes didn't smile. Why wasn't Wes smiling at the idea of seeing Jen again? "What's wrong?"

"I'm seeing someone." Wes blurted the words out before his mind could filter them out. "We agreed to, I didn't mean to so fast, but…" The words were running together into an unintelligible sentence.

"Wes, calm down." Bronwyn smiled comfortingly. "It's just me and another Lieutenant here, you don't know her, well, yet." She shrugged as her eyes flickered off screen. "Ok, she's gone, just us." Bronwyn focused her attention on him. "Start over."

"I met her before you all came here to capture the Mut-Orgs." Wes explained. "Then Dad made Rachael have an engagement party, so I brought her. Took her home, and kissed her."

"When was that?"

"Last night." Wes admitted, frowning when Bronwyn laughed.

"That's next to nothing Wes." She said between her bursts of laughter. "I've been making Jen go out, she's seen a couple guys, nothing serious though."

"Good." It was odd to feel almost relieved at the fact Jen was seeing other guys.

"Wes, you live in different times, you have to move on. She knows that, you know that. Don't feel guilty for having feelings for another girl." Bronwyn leaned back. "Now, what's the date for the wedding?"

"Uh," Wes searched through his desk for the paper Rachael had given him, threatening his life if he couldn't make it, "Here, January 11th 2003."

"Ok." Bronwyn nodded. "Keep this out; I'll be trying to coordinate things with you."

"Sounds good."

"Did you call her yet?" Bronwyn grinned.

"I was going to when you called." Wes smiled back at her. "How's Lucas?" Bronwyn flushed red, not at ease with people knowing her personal life as Rachael was.

"Good." She nodded. "Things are great. Katie's been seeing this guy who works at this charity. I think Tripp has been talking to someone online, but I'm not entirely sure." She ran through their friends, trying to distract Wes from her and Lucas, which he let her do.

"Glad everyone's happy." Wes smiled, the ache in his chest lessening as they spoke.

"Go call her." Bronwyn smiled.

"You sound like Rachael." Wes rolled his eyes. "Bye Bronwyn." He shut off the com and picked up his office phone, dialing the number he'd memorized in a day.

"Hello?" Courtney sounded hopeful, and he knew calling was the right thing.

"Hey, it's Wes."

"Hey." She breathed out noticeably and he grinned.

"I hope I didn't call too early, I had a great time last night." He said tentatively.

"Me too." Courtney replied. "Sorry I was so weird last night." She bit her lip.

"It's ok." Wes smiled. "What are you doing today?"

"I'm going back to Silver Hills U to register for classes, I've decided to transfer." She responded.

"I have some time for lunch if you're free." Wes said as he checked his schedule, finding it was indeed empty during his usual lunch time. "I will be in uniform though."

"Sure." Courtney laughed. "I think all girls appreciate a guy in uniform."

"The secret to why Rachael likes Eric is out." Wes agreed with a laugh. "Rosa's at noon?"

"I'll meet you there." Courtney agreed and said good bye before hanging up the phone.

He called her. Giddy, she leapt out of her bed, and tore to her closet, trying to find the right thing to wear for this sudden lunch. She'd never tell him he'd woken her up at eight in the morning on a Sunday, not even if her life depended on it. He'd _called_. It took her over an hour to pick out the right outfit, settling on a pair of nice jeans, a purple shirt with a white sweater. Her blonde hair feathered loosely around her head, she passed on the make-up in favor of a fresh faced look. She grabbed her purse and went for her car, a grin permanently planted on her face.

Luckily Silver Hills U had the admissions office open because of an event on campus, and Courtney was able to talk to who would be the advisor of her department who read over her transcript and application in front of her, unable to contain his excitement. Practically guaranteeing her admission into the school, he sat down and outlined her next semester, after insisting she start there in the spring instead of waiting until fall. Courtney left the campus in high spirits, heading for the diner early to grab a newspaper and start looking for an apartment closer to campus.

Wes found her with her head bent over the paper, extreme concentration on her face as she looked at the classifieds, a highlighter in her hand, poised to write. Smiling at how absorbed she was, he sat down across from her, and waited for her to notice him. It took nearly five solid minutes before she jumped.

"How long have you been there?" She demanded, capping her highlighter.

"Almost five minutes." Wes laughed. "What are you doing?" Courtney tried to sweep up the paper, but Wes snatched it and glanced. "Apartments, you don't want these." He folded up the paper. "Your mother won't like them."

"I know." Courtney rolled her eyes. "I was hoping to pay for this one myself, get out from under her thumb a little, even though she still pays tuition." She frowned and took up the coffee she hadn't touched yet.

"I'd take it as long as you could." Wes offered as his coffee arrived. "I just moved back in with my Dad, and now I'm saving up to find my own place."

"Waiting for something nice to open?" Courtney asked as Wes searched for the right thing to say.

"Not exactly, but kind of. I want to buy a house." Wes admitted. "Nothing huge, a modest house."

"That sounds nice." Courtney smiled. "Thinking about getting one to fix up?"

"Thought about it, I have recently acquired painting skills." Wes laughed and shook his head. "Odd jobs give you strange skills." Courtney laughed and nodded.

"I grew up in a place where everything was done for me; all I had to do myself was school." She shook her head and rolled her eyes skyward. "Probably why I excelled, and why the twins don't care."

"You don't talk about your sisters much." Wes commented, trying to change the subject.

"Well I've actually met your sister." Courtney pointed out. "They're identical terrors, I swear they do nothing but pick fights with Mom. I don't remember being that bad at fourteen."

"I was. My Mom died when I was twelve, by the time I got to high school I was out of control." Wes admitted. "I'd never have admitted it before, but Rachael did better than I did."

"What changed you?" Courtney asked softly.

"It started after Eric dropped out of Prep, I realized my life wasn't so bad, but the real catalyst was the rangers showing up." The waitress came and took their orders, leaving Courtney more curious than sated with his answer. "I partied a lot."

"Oh."

"Borderline alcoholic at seventeen." Disgusted at himself, Wes stared at his coffee. "I haven't had a drink in almost two years."

"That's why you had soda that night." Courtney realized. The dinner about two months ago he'd been drinking soda, not alcohol, when even Rachael was sipping on a little.

"That would be why." Wes nodded.

"Good for you." Courtney drained her coffee. "I think I'm the opposite, I've been sheltered my whole life, I can barely function in society."

"You're very together at parties."

"Yeah, those kinds, but I've never even been to a college party, I think I'd die from the stress." Courtney scowled the first real negative emotion Wes had seen on her. "I was raised a _princess_ that doesn't change how I deal with things." She said the word with such disgust, Wes couldn't answer. "Sorry." She muttered and sighed, trying to change the subject. "How's work today?"

"Slow, which is good because Eric has the day off." Wes rolled his eyes when Courtney stifled a laugh. "I know what you're thinking, and I'm entirely sure you're right."

"Sorry." Courtney laughed. "I can't imagine thinking about your little sister with your friend."

"It's weird." Wes agreed. "At first I was furious; I didn't think it would go well for either of them. I don't know what happened, but it's like they help each other. She's settled down and he's gotten a sense of humor out of them together."

"So it works out for you on both ends."

"Selfish, but true." Wes laughed. "They'll work well together, I can see that."

"When's the wedding?" Courtney asked.

"January sometime, you should come." Wes sipped his coffee. "I don't have a date yet." He grinned when she blushed.

"Sure." Courtney nodded slowly. "That sounds nice."

"Good." Relieved she'd said yes, Wes put down his coffee. "I'll make sure to get you an invitation, if you still live there."

"Hopefully I'll be living somewhere around here." Courtney glanced out the window next to them at the quieter part of Silver Hills.

"When you move let us know, we'll help you move your stuff. Rachael can work some magic for dinner afterward." Wes offered and Courtney laughed.

"I'd like that. She cooks too? She's perfect isn't she?"

"Oh yes, she's a freaking angel."

"Aren't you nice." Courtney snickered.

"Hey." Wes protested. Their conversation continued in a similar pattern of constant teasing and backing up their own defenses. By the end, Wes was sad to go; she was fun to hang out with. He walked her to her car and stood next to her. "Call me whenever you're coming here, I'll help you find a place."

"Sure." Courtney nodded, standing between her car and the door. It took her a moment to realize exactly what he was waiting for. "I'm sorry." She shook her head and laughed nervously. "I'm not good at this."

"At what?"

"Dating." She tried to explain. "Or whatever it is we're doing."

"We're friends." Wes nodded. "Really good friends."

"Do good friends kiss?" Her heart was quickly sinking.

"They can." Wes replied, a smile sneaking its way on to his face.

"Good." Courtney's breath hitched as he leaned forward and placed a short, sweet kiss on her lips. He pulled back and waited for her eyes to open, rewarded by the fluttering of long golden lashed to reveal her rapidly darkening violet eyes. Gently cupping her cheek he brought her face closer for another, coaxing her lips open with his tongue. Courtney pressed herself closer to him, despite the car door uncomfortably close. When he pulled back she started to back away, but he grabbed her arm and moved around the door, leaning her against the second door and grinning.

"You're not running away this time." He murmured and kissed her again, her hand finding his jacket and gripping it while the other braced her against the car. Courtney could've stayed there all day with his warm body pressed against hers, but it had to end as he pulled back.

"I want to see you later." She said bravely, looking up at him. Wes searched her face and smiled.

"How about I take you to dinner tomorrow night?" He offered. "Nothing fancy, jeans and t-shirts."

"Sounds fun." Courtney nodded and swallowed hard. "How did you know?" She shifted a little, but he didn't move.

"I had an idea." Wes smiled. "I'm not going to rush this."

"What if I want to rush it?" Courtney challenged, leaning forward.

"Then I'm going to have to teach you self-control." Wes grinned as he leaned away from her. Her face moved to a pout before he covered her lips with his one last time before releasing her. He watched her drive away from his driver's seat, unable to wipe the grin off of his face. He was in trouble when it came to this woman. Not only was she a virgin, he'd been her first kiss, and was clearly the first relationship she'd ever been even close to being in. And he couldn't resist her. By the time he got back to his office it was a half hour past his usual lunch hour and it took hours to catch up to where he could make it home by a reasonable time, taking his usual route home.

There was a small neighborhood about two blocks from where Eric and Rachael lived with several rows of modest houses lined up perfectly. They weren't cookie cutter houses; they were each unique, having been built one by one as the lots sold. And Wes wanted one of them. The average house sold for about the average for Silver Hills, but were spacious and welcoming. And every day as he drove through the neighborhood he watched for for-sale signs, and had only seen one once. It was a few days after he started working at Silver Guardians, and the house was bigger than even all five of the rangers together could fill. And it sold in three days. He knew because he'd gone to the open house and saw the couple approach the realtor with an offer. One day, Wes was going to own one of those houses.

As he got to his father's house, Mrs. Bailey was leaving, waving to Wes as he jogged into the house. Without pausing he went to the phone, and prayed the other end would pick up.

"Hello?"

"If you're too busy just hang up, I don't want to know." Wes said immediately. Rachael laughed on the other end.

"No, Eric went to get dinner; I don't feel like cooking after last night. What's up?"

"How's your guest list coming?"

"Why, do you have a date?" Rachael countered quickly, as if she'd been expecting it.

"Maybe." Wes frowned as she laughed. The damn girl seemed to know everything. "Stop it, I asked her today and she said she would go with me."

"Did you spend the night with her?" Rachael sounded surprised as she tried to stifle her laughter, not really having too much success there.

"No." Wes rolled his eyes as his sister's sense of dating. "We met for lunch after she went to SHU." He said the abbreviation as a word 'shoo' as most locals did, Rachael accepting it without question.

"She transferring?"

"Yep." Wes kicked off his shoes and went up the stairs, unceremoniously stripping from his work clothes. "So does she fit on your guest list or not?"

"She can." The sound of paper shuffling came in between her words. "Sadly she's not the one making me crazy."

"I know." Wes sighed. "I miss them too."

"It's my wedding; I want the people I love there." Rachael sounded sad. "I know I should just deal with it, I mean I do see them sometimes at Time Force, but usually just Bronwyn. I've seen Jen twice." She added the last part tentatively.

"How is she?" Wes felt oddly removed from his question.

"She looks good." Rachael admitted. "Are you ok?"

"Yes." He meant it. "I still love her; probably always will, but I do have feelings for Courtney. I don't know; I'm confused." Wes sat on his bed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I feel like I know that I can't be with Jen, and Courtney is here. She makes me laugh, and we can talk for hours, I was late back to work after lunch because we talked so long."

"I'm happy for you." Rachael sounded sincere over the phone. "Would it be awkward for you if Jen and the others can make the wedding?"

"I don't think so."

"Even with Courtney there?" Rachael pressed.

"I'm not going to make out with Courtney in front of Jen." Wes chided his sister as she laughed lightly.

"So you do have tact." She pretended to be in awe as he laughed.

"Not much, I preserve it for people who aren't you." Wes laughed and heard noise behind her. "That Eric?"

"Yeah he just got back."

"Well I'll let you go then." Wes laughed. "I love you Rachael."

"I love you too." She was serious for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Sorry, Eric heard that and told me I'd better be talking to you."

"Good man." Wes laughed. "I'll see you later. Bye."

"Bye." Rachael hung up the phone, leaving Wes by himself to consider his day again. And he couldn't get the image of Courtney's face, hazy from kissing, out of his mind. There was something about the girl he couldn't throw, she was enchanting, enthralling, and had an air of innocence about her that only made him more attracted to her. He could barely sleep from anticipation of seeing her the next day, everything had to be perfect.


	14. Chapter 14

It was. At least in Courtney's opinion. Wes took her to a casual, but nice restaurant in nearby Silver Lake and they walked through the quaint town hand in hand for over an hour, ending up at the small dock to watch the sun set. He didn't try anything more than to kiss her, and she was getting into that easily. It was something she wanted to do from the moment she saw him. And he seemed to be all too happy to let her. They met again and again, several times over the next month and then the next, going to all kinds of dates and events together, including apartment shopping to which they failed miserably, unable to find a single suitable place for her to live. To try and raise her spirits he showed her the neighborhood he wanted to live in, pleased when her eyes sparkled at the idea of living there. Eventually he'd offered the guest suite in the mansion for her to stay in.

And that idea appealed. So much so, that she was contemplating not even looking for an apartment. But she did, and in early December when she was looking for one, she saw a real estate ad and immediately called her boyfriend, cutting him off as he answered.

"Wes, one of the houses is for sale." Courtney was already getting a jacket on.

"Which one?" Wes sounded nervous.

"The third one in, it's that stucco color." She described the ad as she got her keys and took the paper with her down to her car. "Four bedrooms, three bath, it's the one with the big yard too."

"I have to get over there." Wes sounded stressed.

"I'm on my way; I'll call the realtor and set something up." She promised and checked her watch. "I'll be there in a half hour; I'll try to set something up for your lunch or after work."

"You're a godsend." Wes breathed out. "Thank you."

"No problem." Courtney laughed as she revved her car engine and started for Silver Hills.

"If Eric gets back soon I'll call you and try to meet."

"Ok, I'll see you later then." Courtney grinned and hung up the phone, confident that she could use her lead foot the moment she got into Silver Guardian's territory. Even though it had only been a few months, the men already knew her car, and that she was dating one of their captains, which gave her a free pass to drive as fast as she wanted, something she knew Rachael couldn't do because even Eric would pull her over. The realtor's secretary made her an appointment to meet with her in the next ten minutes, and with a little pushing, she made it with seconds to spare. In a few minutes she was walking through the house, ignoring the poor taste in furniture the current owners had to look at the terrible choice in wall colors.

Excusing herself from the realtor, she dialed her cell phone once again. "Current owners can't pick paint colors to save their lives, but it's gorgeous." She looked out the window to the fairly large back yard.

"Give me ten minutes." Wes promised and hung up, and true to his word, was there in ten minutes, dressed in his Silver Guardians uniform and began talking with the realtor. Courtney wandered around upstairs and looked through the spacious rooms as Wes talked business. Despite the poor choice in colors, the house was homey, and she could almost see the children running around, playing in their rooms. Lost in her daydreams, she nearly missed the pair of hands snaking around her waist. "Hey." Wes kissed her temple. "I made an offer." Courtney whirled in his arms.

"Congratulations!" She smiled widely and kissed him.

"Thanks." Wes chuckled. "Eric was pretty surprised when I left as soon as he got back. I never told him or Rachael I wanted a house."

"Well now we have to have a party."

"The realtor says the family is moving out next week, I could have this place in my name by New Years." Excitement radiated from him and Courtney held his torso.

"I'm happy for you." Courtney smiled, happy he was happy.

"Thanks." Wes leaned in and kissed her again, longer and slower this time, holding her head behind her ear.

"It's what I'm here for." Courtney smiled, still hazy from his kissing. That was one thing she didn't expect would ever change, and didn't mind in the least.

"Come to the mansion tonight." Wes invited. "I want to tell my Dad and Rachael. I guess she'll bring Eric, so you should come."

Courtney laughed and nodded, greedily leaning up for another kiss. Wes laughingly obliged for a moment before they had to go back downstairs and leave with the realtor. They went their separate ways, and Courtney went to SHU to check out the campus before knowing she'd be attending there within a month. Actually she started two days after Eric and Rachael's wedding.

On a back road she slowed to a stop seeing a familiar car in a driveway. Unsure if the classic car was actually Rachael's she debated going in for a minute until she saw the raven haired girl exit the house and head for the mailbox. Courtney parked and got out, calling over to her.

"Hey." Rachael smiled and moved to Courtney, dressed in old jeans and a baseball raglan t-shirt. "What brings you over here?"

"I was with Wes, long story." Courtney waved it off. "I was going to go over and check out the campus, but I saw your car, I didn't know you lived here." Her eyes swept the cute house behind Rachael.

"Want some coffee?" Rachael offered and the women started for the house. "Eric bought this place just when the rangers showed up in Silver Hills." She explained and opened the door. "I moved in toward the end of their little stint."

"How long after you met?" Courtney pulled off her long jacket and draped it over a chair in the kitchen, intensely curious when Rachael blushed bright red.

"About three days. I know." She shook her head as she put together the coffee. "It was fast, but it felt right."

"How did you know?"

Rachael looked to where Courtney was looking eagerly at her, as if her answer would affect her own relationship. "I'm not sure, but he told me that it was seeing me sleeping in his bed. Nothing sexual." She added and sat down next to Courtney. "It was sudden, took me forever to feel truly at home here. You know, like it's my home, not just his and I live here."

"When did it feel like home?"

"After I repainted it." Rachael laughed. "No, but really, it was gradual, one day I woke up and I was just home." She watched Courtney as she sat quietly for a moment. "Are you ok?"

"Yes." Courtney nodded; trying to shake herself out of her thoughts then looked at Rachael's concerned face for a moment. "No. I don't know." Her shoulders relaxed. "I think I'm in love with him."

"That's not a bad thing." Rachael tried to comfort her.

"But he loves her, I can't compete with that."

"No you can't." Rachael agreed. "But you can love two people. I think he'll always love her." She stood and got mugs for the completed coffee. "But love can fade. He can love you just as much, even more than he ever loved her." She placed the coffee in front of Courtney. "I know he has feelings for you."

"I hope so." Courtney tried to stop the tears from flowing from her eyes, but had to accept a tissue from Rachael.

"What happened today?" Rachael asked in concern. "What did he do? Do I need to have Eric murder him?"

"Nothing." Courtney laughed, but inside felt touched Rachael cared enough to have her fiancé beat her brother. "He's done nothing but be wonderful, I love being with him. I let my imagination get away with me today." Rachael reached over the table and took Courtney's hand.

"If I had a dollar for every time I did that I'd be able to buy out my Dad's share in BioLabs." Rachael's voice was dark with her comment.

"With Eric?"

"Sometimes." Rachael sighed and stirred her coffee, eyes getting far off. "Especially now." She blushed. "Since his mother told me I'll be pregnant before our first anniversary I can't get it out of my head."

"Imagining little Myers' running around?" Courtney smiled at the thought of the dark haired babies Eric and Rachael would have.

"Yeah." Rachael smiled dreamily. "I've gone so far as mentally rearranging the spare room into a nursery before I catch myself."

"Must be a female thing." Courtney shook her head. "My mother isn't thrilled I'm with Wes in the first place, but I can't help it, I feel good with him." Rachael laughed and nodded before looking up curiously.

"Why doesn't she like him? Is he a commoner?" There was a light in her eyes that betrayed the possible insult of her question. Courtney had explained her family and who she was to Eric and Rachael a few weeks after she and Wes started dating, and they'd taken it well, at least it seemed that way.

"My father was a warrior, which is worse than a commoner." Courtney explained with a slight laugh. "Warriors work for the royal family, so she pretty much married her employee. See, her parents didn't approve, but when she inherited the throne she married him anyway, they couldn't stop her then."

"That sounds sweet, why doesn't she like Wes?"

"She thinks I'm too young. I just turned twenty-one, she doesn't want me settling. I'm not settling down, we haven't even…" She stopped, horrified. "I'm sorry; you probably don't want to hear about that."

"No, no." Rachael laughed. "I deserve it; Wes knows practically every detail about my sex life."

"That's got to be awkward."

"For them maybe." Rachael leaned back in her seat. "For me, honestly, I'm really comfortable with my sexuality; it wouldn't bother me if you did say you and Wes were having sex."

"I couldn't take it if Liam had a girlfriend and I knew they were having sex." Courtney shuddered at the thought. Rachael laughed, shrugging one shoulder and sipping her coffee at the same time. She thought for a moment before looking up.

"I have to ask, and be brutally honest with me." She started and took a deep breath. "If our friends, including Jen, were able to come to my wedding, would you still come?" Courtney paused for a moment, mind working double time. That would mean meeting Jen face to face; while she was there as Wes' date. "Bronwyn, Jen's sister, told me Jen's been seeing someone in their time, but he wouldn't be able to come, just the rangers and Bronwyn." Rachael explained, watching Courtney's mind reel. "Wes said he'd be ok with it, he wants to bring you."

"He said that?" Courtney felt her heart rise with hope.

"His words were that he has feelings for you and likes being with you, and he told me that weeks ago, I'm sure it's stronger now." Rachael messed with her coffee mug, tracing her finger along the rim. "Jen or not, I want you there, I like you." She smiled. "You're good for Wes."

"You mean that?" Courtney asked tentatively.

"Whole heartedly." Rachael nodded, eyes widening to emphasize. "I think loving Jen stressed him out, he's putting it behind him and enjoying himself with you. He's much more relaxed since he's been with you than the six months after she left."

"Really?" It was hard not to feel her heart soar with joy as Rachael spoke.

"Really." Rachael laughed and checked her watch. "Do you mind if I grade papers?" She asked, "We're going to Dad's for dinner."

"Wes invited me too." Courtney nodded. "I'll just go." She stood to leave but Rachael stopped her.

"No, you can help me, you speak French." She laughed and pulled out a stack of essays. "You're fluent with grammar?"

"Je parle français comme une reine." Courtney tossed her hair dramatically behind her as she spoke, getting a laugh from Rachael as they sat to grade the freshmen's attempts at writing French. By the time Eric got back they'd gone through twice as much coffee as intended and were laughing at the mistranslations.

He observed Rachael with Courtney from the door for a few minutes before coming in. Rachael didn't have many female friends locally, so it was nice to see her with another girl instead of him and Wes for once. Pulling away from the doorframe, he greeted her with a kiss and smiled at Courtney before excusing himself to change and shower. When he emerged Courtney was gone, and Rachael was waiting for him in their bedroom.

"Hi." She greeted again, a slight smile on her face as she grabbed onto his neck. "I miss you when you leave me."

"Someone's got to work." Eric muttered cheekily and kissed her.

"Hey it's Veteran's day." Rachael laughed and swatted his arm before leaning in to kiss him again. "Don't be mad I get public holidays off and you don't."

"We'll just put it as 'you owe me'." Eric muttered as he wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her against him.

"Later, dinner with our parents first." Rachael kissed him one last time before stepping away to strip off her day clothes and pull on a pair of black slacks and a soft blue long sleeved shirt.

"I'm not sure how I feel about our parents living together." Eric frowned as he pulled on dark jeans and a black button down shirt. Rachael stepped over and adjusted his collar, leaving the top button open, just showing the collar of his white undershirt.

"It's not like they're dating." Rachael laughed. "I'm just glad you got her that new doctor." Her voice stiffened as she mentioned his mother. When she'd visited a new doctor, a high end one paid for by Alan, the man was disgusted with the lack of care and information they'd been given, informing them that her cancer could be easily contained and with the right rehabilitation she'd be able to live with only limited assistance. Eric had been furious, but Grace and her husband Sawyer were suing the old doctor for malpractice.

"Me too." Eric murmured and looked down at her with a grin.

"What?" Rachael smiled back.

"I didn't think she'd ever see my kids." He leaned in to rest his forehead on hers. "She's going to see our kids."

"I like the sound of that." Rachael murmured. "'Our kids'." She smiled and laughed. "We should go." She tried to say, but her words were muffled by another mouth enveloping hers. Then she was falling, landing on the soft bed behind her. "We're going to be late." She gasped as he pulled at her shirt, pulling it over her head. Ignoring her, Eric pulled at her slacks, getting them off after only a slight mishap with a button and getting his own clothing off.

Which made them at least ten minutes late for dinner. As much as she tried, Rachael couldn't convince Eric to go even a little over the speed limit, which made their entrance noticeable, and obvious.

"Hi." Wes was smirking as she came into the kitchen, earning a punch in the arm. "Hey." He protested.

"Shut up." Rachael muttered and looked to Courtney. "Hey." She winked and the blonde girl grinned, happily sitting next to Wes. "Hey Leta." Rachael went over to her mother-in-law, kissing her cheek.

"Hello Love." Leta greeted her, holding her arm to whisper quietly in her ear. "Careful, wait until after the wedding for a baby." Rachael turned red, which gave away what was said without anyone else hearing it.

"Mother." Eric protested, coming to Rachael's side. "You've got four grandkids; focus on them for a while."

"Oh I plan on getting to Florida and spoiling them rotten." Leta grinned devilishly and Rachael looked helpless.

"You would love my mother." Courtney laughed and moved around Rachael to sit next to Leta. "She begs my brother for grandbabies daily."

"He should obey his mother." Leta smiled at the girl.

"He's more interested in other things." Courtney laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "There's four of us, I'm sure we'll each give her one or two."

"I'm thrilled my daughter has given me four beautiful babies, but they're not Myers'." Leta smiled, an odd look in her eye. "Eric's babies will be, that's important to me."

"And I'm sure it's important to him too." Courtney took the older woman's hand.

"It is." Eric sat on the other side of his mother. "But when Rachael and I get there." Leta took his hand and held it tightly. "You'll see my kids Ma."

"I'm grateful." Leta smiled and looked over as Mrs. Bailey entered, triumphantly announcing dinner was ready. Eric held his mother's hand and helped her to the table while the others gathered together around the table, a raucous meal ensuing until Wes requested quiet.

"I just wanted to make a little announcement." He grinned and Courtney sat back, proud of him. Wes turned to his father. "Dad I'm moving out." Alan's eyebrows raised. "I made an offer on a house today, and it looks good."

"Wow, congratulations!" Rachael leaned forward on the table, looking across to her brother. "What brought this out?"

"I've been thinking about it for a long time, I wanted something over on Cedarwood Drive." Wes explained. "So I waited and saved, and one just went on the market, and I think we got there in time." He glanced at Courtney and her surprised face before he realized what he said. "She helped me find it." He tried.

"What Wes is trying to say, is I'm not moving in with him." Courtney laughed. "I was looking for an apartment and knew he was looking."

"That's great Wesley." Mrs. Bailey smiled and held up her drink. "A toast." She announced. "To the future." The group raised their glasses and murmured the phrase back before a barrage of questions for Wes about his house, and Rachael about the wedding, occupying them so that it was very late before Wes walked Courtney out to her car.

"What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" Wes asked her, hands in his pockets.

"Meré will probably have dinner with the four of us." Courtney turned and leaned against her car, messing with the keys in her hands.

"Yeah Dad likes to have us here." Wes looked thoughtful and then back to her. "I promise to miss you." He grinned cheekily as she smiled. He leaned in to kiss her, but she put a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"Can I be honest with you?" She looked up earnestly, shifting her feet.

"Sure." Wes knit his brow with concern, making him look more like his sister than she'd ever seen.

"I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with you." Courtney said softly. "And it scares me because I don't know if you're over Jen." Wes froze, but didn't back away, and while that was encouraging, his face wasn't.

"I'm not going to tell you I'm completely over her." Wes started slowly. "But I feel less for her every day; I go days without thinking about her because I'm completely infatuated with you." He looked down at her. "I'm falling for you too, and it scares me." He admitted.

"Ok." Courtney leaned up and kissed him before he could protest her hands on either of his cheeks. She pulled back and smiled gently. "I'm not asking you to just give her up. I know that's hard, getting over someone sucks and we have time."

"I'm glad." Wes touched her cheek. "I don't want to rush us." He leaned in and kissed her again, lingering this time as he pressed her against her car. Her laughter made him stop and ask her what was so funny.

"We always end up against my car." She giggled and leaned against him, pulling away from the car to lean against his chest. Laughing with her, Wes wrapped his arms around her thin waist and kissed her again. After a while she looked up. "I should go."

"I don't want you to."

"I have to." Despite the thrill her heart felt when he said the words, even if they were heat of the moment, she knew she couldn't stay. Not now. "Call me." She kissed him one last time before reluctantly getting in her car and driving away, making the forty minute trip back to Briarwood with the radio blasting, heart savoring the joy she felt.

When Wes got back inside Rachael was leaning on the doorway and glanced at her watch. "That good bye took twenty minutes." She looked up with a clear grin on her face.

"Shut up." Wes tried to be annoyed at her, but he couldn't, he was too happy to. Rachael moved forward and hugged him.

"We're growing up." She murmured while she laid her head on his chest. "I miss Mom." She whispered her voice choking. "I don't want to get married without her, but I have to." Rachael turned her head into his shoulder, trying not to cry, but finding it impossible.

"I know." Wes rocked her, holding his sister close. "I miss her too, but think about what we've got." He tried. "Dad's backed off, we've always had Mrs. Bailey, and now you've got Leta." Rachael laughed into his chest.

"She scares me into buying pregnancy tests." Rachael admitted as she laughed. "I've never used one; I hid them in the spare room where Eric won't find them." She wiped her eyes. "Don't tell him about that."

"Trust me, Eric and I don't really talk about you." Wes frowned as she laughed and rolled her eyes. "We're men; we talk about men things, not what he does with you in that house."

"Or what I do to him." Rachael flashed a grin and Wes lunged for her, frowning when she dodged him. Feeling good, he tried again, ending up chasing her through the house, past the other occupants who looked on with a mixture of amusement and confusion. Wes tackled Rachael on the couch, getting her to scream by tickling her.

"Do I need to send you to your rooms?" Alan asked his children after Wes fell to the floor, still laughing.

"Why start now?" Rachael grinned saucily, trying to catch her breath.

"That's it, up to your room." Alan pointed to the stairs, but his face and tone were playing into Rachael and Wes' fun.

"I'll take care of that, sir." Eric volunteered and left Leta's side to get Rachael, but she got up and dodged his grasp, trying to hide behind Mrs. Bailey. The woman laughed and hugged Rachael tightly.

"Go home and sleep, you'll need it in this homestretch." She winked at the out of breath girl who met her fiancé's eyes with a smile.

It didn't take long before she figured out Mrs. Bailey was right. Even with a wedding planner she was being asked a hundred questions a day to finalize details. The woman was strict, and hated how there were not one, but five people that were unaccounted for even in the last weeks of December. She got one day off from making decisions, and that was Christmas, the first Christmas she and Eric had ever spent together. They started it lazily sleeping in, holding each other before moving into the kitchen for breakfast, and gave each other the few presents that sat underneath their modest tree.

Eric grinned when he opened his gift and saw the pair of hockey skates. "I haven't skated in years."

"Me either." Rachael laughed and opened the box for her, screaming with delight when she pulled out an ice blue Pittsburgh Penguins jersey. "God I love you." She kissed him in thanks. "I was going to be nice if you gave me jewelry, but you're smarter than that." She laughed as he turned her under him on the couch. "Thanks for knowing me better than that."

"No problem." Eric grinned. "I'd better, in two and a half weeks you'll be my wife." Rachael's eyes widened at the time frame then softened. "What?"

"I'm not scared." Her eyes sparkled. "I can't wait to be married to you."

"Want to be Mrs. Myers?" Eric grinned and leaned into kiss her as she nodded. "I didn't ask if you wanted my name." He knit his brow thoughtfully. Rachael rolled her eyes, making a scoffing noise.

"I don't like women who do that." She wrinkled her nose as he laughed. "Seriously, you got married, use the man's name for your kids."

"I like you." Eric decided and kissed her again, getting pushed off for his trouble. "Hey." He protested, grabbing her arm as she tried to get away. "Come back here, I'm not done." He muttered and pulled her to the floor, climbing on top of her.

"We've got things to do today." She looked up at him with a frown.

"This is important." Eric pinned her wrists over her head challenging her. "I need you."

"You have me." Rachael argued. "And you can have me later, right now I need to get dressed and get the other presents into the car so we can get to Dad's."

"We have two hours." Eric pointed out.

"I will not be late again because of you." Rachael's eyes darkened. "So make it quick."

"Yes Ma'am." Eric greedily picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. By the time she was dressed in a red sweater over a white t-shirt, Eric was slowly sitting up and getting to his things. Rachael laughed and shook her head at him as she went into the kitchen, pulling together presents and things to take over to her father's. A strange beeping came several times before she pinpointed the yellow case was the offending object. Curious, she set up the video part, pleased to see a blonde on the other end.

"Hey Bronwyn, Merry Christmas." Rachael smiled as her friend laughed.

"Merry Christmas, have you been to see the others yet?"

"Not yet." Rachael glanced toward the bedroom. "Slowly getting ready."

"Eric around?"

"Here." He came up behind Rachael, missing his shirt in favor of talking to Bronwyn. She did a double take before getting to her point.

"I just wanted to give you guys your present." She smiled brightly. "We're coming to the wedding, all of us." Rachael clapped her hands over her mouth and leaned back in the chair she was seated in before jumping up to hug Eric. Bronwyn laughed and checked her watch. "I'm going to get going; we're having our own Christmas here." She explained.

"Tell everyone I can't wait to see them." Rachael nodded and signed off before leaping into Eric's arms again. "You cannot imagine how excited I am." She said breathlessly. "It almost feels complete now."

"Your mother." Eric guessed softly, feeling his heart tug as she nodded. "She'll be there, somehow." He touched her chin, tipping it up to make her eyes meet his. "I love you."

"I love you too." Rachael smiled, eyes shining with tears she was trying to avoid. "Go get dressed we're going to be late again."

"Bah." Eric snorted and kissed her hard and fast before going to the bedroom to search out the shirt she'd gotten for him. "Why do you buy me black shirts?" He asked as he came out, the black sweater over a white shirt.

"It's not all black." Rachael defended her choice with a turn of her head. "I'd have gotten you red, but I know Wes will wear it, and I didn't think you'd want to match me either."

"Good point." Eric conceded and opened the door for her, grabbing the heavier of the presents. Rachael stepped out on their doorstep and locked the door before looking up at the sky and sighing deeply.

"I miss snow."

"Really?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "I seem to recall you saying you were sick of it."

"Not on Christmas." Rachael shook her head, smiling that he'd remembered that. "Snow just makes Christmas perfect. Not that being with you isn't perfect." She amended quickly; getting a grin from him as she moved next to him to place the food she'd cooked to help Mrs. Bailey not have to cook it all for dinner.

"So you do miss Boston." Eric accused as they got into the SUV.

"Just the snow on Christmas." Rachael grinned and leaned over to kiss him. "There're more things I like here." She leaned back in her chair. "See I've got this guy, I live with him and I'm going to marry him."

"Don't tell him about me." Eric played along with her joke, pleased she laughed along as he drove her across town to the giant house her father lived in. Their first Christmas together was filled with family and friends, but Eric was the happiest when he had her back in their house, wrapped up in a blanket on their couch with her close to him. It was a quiet moment, one where they could rest in each other's company without the stress of any part of the wedding, now that the guest list crisis had been resolved. Neither woke until early the next morning when they had to get back to life, and answer questions everyone had for them.


	15. Chapter 15

Before anyone was ready, it was January 10th, the day of the rehearsal dinner and they were headed to the beach to intercept the incoming guests. Their reunion was joyful, despite both sides anticipating an awkward interaction between Wes and Jen. Proved wrong when the pair embraced, they made their way back to the mansion where they'd all be staying. The guys were staying at Eric and Rachael's before the wedding on the various couches and cots they'd set up, while the girls were to stay at the mansion, including Courtney who had been living in the guest suite for a few days as she started classes at SHU soon. To her dismay Wes had moved into his own house at the same time, but he visited often, seeing one another much more often than before.

Nervous shaking her body, she stepped out of the door with Mrs. Bailey to greet the rangers as they all piled out of the three cars taken to get them. Courtney scanned the group and pinpointed Jen easily, as Jen was the only one who was staring at her. The introduction was tentative, but once inside Courtney's perfect social charm was able to sway even Jen into laughing with them. Wes was careful as he interacted with Courtney and she understood why, keeping her own respectful distance. The nine young adults had a loud afternoon to catch up before the wedding party had to leave for the rehearsal, leaving the rangers behind to come together for the rehearsal dinner.

The dinner was held at the Silver Hills botanical gardens, amidst the dozens of exotic plants, flowers and trees, completely lit up by thousands of lights and decorations that made the engagement dinner look like a cheap birthday party. With cocktails in hand they mingled with the people Rachael and Eric had grown up with, knew, or knew their families. Courtney stood off to the side at one point, catching her breath from trying to be perfect.

"Hey." Wes found her, loving that seeing him put a smile on her otherwise tired face.

"Hey." She returned and glanced at the drink in his hand.

"It's water." Wes chuckled and held it out for her to sniff, which she did. "Trust me; I know it'd be too easy to drink right now."

"Good." Courtney touched his arm gently and let her hand drop. "I, however, am indulging in some gin and tonic." She took a sip of the alcohol.

"You're doing great." Wes comforted her. "I'm sorry it's awkward, but Rachael needs them all here, and she's my friend."

"No." Courtney stopped his excuses. "I know, I can't imagine how you feel seeing her right now."

"It's not as hard as I thought." Wes looked at her with a slight frown. "I'm mostly concerned about how you feel." Courtney wanted to jump into his arms and take him right there in the middle of the people at the pure sincerity in his eyes.

"I'll be ok." Courtney nodded slowly, using all her will power to stay standing where she was. She glanced over to where Jen was having an animated conversation with Bronwyn and Eric's mother before looking back to him and lowering her voice. "I could use a kiss though." Wes grinned and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Thanks." She smiled and took a deep breath. "Now I don't need alcohol." She grinned and raised a shoulder before walking away, back to the group. Wes laughed and searched out his sister, grabbing her from behind.

"Hey." Rachael swatted at him, missing as he held onto her.

"Trying to escape?" Wes asked.

"Maybe." Rachael grinned and looked up at him, putting an arm around his waist. "I'll just be glad when it's over and Eric and I get out of here for a week." She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Where is he?" Wes scanned the group, not seeing his sister's fiancé anywhere.

"In the car, checking the score of the game." Rachael laughed as Wes rolled his eyes. "Are you ok?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Wes nodded, eyes going to Courtney speaking with an old family friend of their father's to the side and held. Rachael watched carefully as a smile grew on his face, his eyes never straying to the brunette on the other side of the party.

"Oh no." Rachael grinned and pulled back, getting Wes' full attention. "You're in love with her, I can see it."

"Shh." Wes looked panicked as he tried to shush her. "I'm not sure I'm ready to tell her that."

"It's ok." Rachael took his face in her hands. "You don't have to just because I'm getting married tomorrow." Her face changed. "I'm getting married tomorrow."

"Yes you are." Wes grinned at how easily she was distracted. "And here's your almost husband." He said as Eric slid back into the garden.

"Bruins are down by one." He whispered to Rachael who frowned, swearing under her breath. Eric laughed as he put an arm around her waist, but frowned. "Is Jen talking to Courtney?" Wes and Rachael turned to where the two women were indeed talking across the way, alone. Wes started to move for them, but Rachael grabbed his arm.

"Let them talk, it'll never get resolved otherwise." She advised.

Jen had seen Courtney alone and made her move, eager to have a one-on-one conversation with the sweet looking blonde girl. "Hey Courtney." She greeted with a smile. "I think we should talk." She got right to the point and the girl nodded and moved away from the more densely populated areas. "You know everything?" Jen asked.

"Yes." Courtney nodded as she answered. "I understand that you're friends, I won't threaten that."

"Thank you." Jen was floored at the maturity her companion was showing. "I'm glad we're both moving on." She sighed and Courtney was quiet. "I was engaged before I met Wes, I broke it whether I could be with him or not." She admitted. "Bronwyn's set me up with some nice guys."

"Like any of them?"

"I've gone out with the one a few times." Jen answered before she realized exactly what Courtney had just done with her mind. It was scary how she knew what to say to get Jen's mind completely off Wes. "I do love Wes, just not as intensely as before. I don't know." Jen sipped her drink. "I'm happy for him, and you."

"Thank you." Courtney smiled. "It means a lot for you to say that. I hope you find someone who deserves you."

"Thank you." Jen smiled and turned. "Wes is watching us."

"He looks terrified." Courtney agreed, trying not to look as she sipped her new drink of water. "I'd suggest we pretend to make a scene to freak him out, but I don't want to ruin Rachael's night."

"If we're messing with Wes I think Rachael would be all too happy to help us." Jen tried to suppress her laughter, but when Courtney started to laugh she nearly lost it, which only concerned Wes as he watched anxiously.

"Or maybe we should be friends; this seems to be doing wonders." Courtney laughed more, her face reddening slightly. Jen looped her arm through Courtney's and the two women walked together for the other rangers, breaking in with Bronwyn and Lucas to join their conversation, surprising them as well. A few other people showed up to reunite with the rangers as the now former Wild Force and Lightspeed rangers showed up, invited by Rachael since there wasn't space at the actual wedding.

Dinner proceeded without a hitch, the usual rehearsal dinner traditions followed and perfected in the garden with the black rod iron tables and chairs with glass tops. It was exquisite, and more expensive than some weddings, but as it was Alan Collins' only daughter, they had expected as much. The worst part of the night was watching Eric and Rachael outside, having to spend their first night apart in a long time. When Rachael finally got into her car, she was practically vibrating with excitement, driving to her father's house. Bronwyn took her hand and dragged her inside.

"We have a surprise for you." She sang and they went up to Rachael's childhood bedroom. "Bridal shower!" She shouted and Rachael laughed.

"I didn't have one because I didn't need one." Rachael pointed out to her friend as Courtney, Jen, and Katie followed them.

"Then it's a bachelorette party." Jen picked up a bottle of wine. "With gifts." She added. The women drained the bottle of wine and laughed late into the night, having very inappropriate conversations that seemed normal with a little help from the wine. Eventually they calmed and Courtney asked a question.

"If you could have anything tomorrow, what would it be?"

Rachael thought for a moment before replying. "Snow." She laughed, leaning her head back on the backboard of her bed. "I love snow, but it doesn't snow in this part of California." She sighed. "Honestly, I just want to get married, you guys can have the party, we'll just take off."

"Come on, you have an entire day dedicated to you and your love." Katie coaxed. "It's romantic."

"It's not us." Rachael smiled and played with the wine glass in her hands. "I wanted to elope, but we knew neither family would appreciate it."

"Neither would we." Bronwyn threw a pillow at her.

"I'm glad we're here." Jen said definitively and looked to Courtney. "I like you."

"Thanks." Courtney smiled and held up her wine glass for Jen to tap, which she did. "We should sleep." She checked the clock. "Unless you want circles under your eyes tomorrow." Laughter went on for a few minutes before they dissipated to their respective rooms, leaving Rachael in her old room by herself. She couldn't sleep, her eyes glued to the ceiling, trying to abate her nervousness. It didn't feel like she ever got to sleep, but a weight settling on her bed woke her to surprisingly bright sunlight.

"Morning." Bronwyn had a wide smile on her face. "It's ten; we figured you'd want to be up."

"Wow." Rachael sat up and rubbed her eyes, stifling a yawn. Bronwyn was still smiling at her when she looked up. "What?"

"Look outside." Bronwyn moved as Rachael went to the window and pulled back her curtains.

A good layer of pure white snow covered the ground as far as her eye could see. Everything was covered in white, and more was falling gently to pile it up. Rachael gasped and stared at the pure beauty for so long Bronwyn had to move to her side and make sure she was ok. Jerking suddenly, Rachael ran from the room in her pajamas and found Courtney in the kitchen, launching herself at her.

"Thank you so much." She murmured and Courtney laughed, returning the hug.

"It was the least I could do." Courtney replied and laughed. "It'll last through the day, now; we have to start pampering you."

"Not yet." Rachael grinned and went for the phone, and despite her friend's protesting dialed her home phone number. Eric answered with the most stressed out voice she'd ever heard from him. "I think if I talk to you for longer than five minutes they'll disconnect us."

"I'm glad you called." His voice was almost drowned out by the guys in the background protesting their communication. Eric yelled at them to shut up. "Did you see the snow?" He asked once it was quiet again.

"Courtney did it for me, I hope you don't mind." Rachael grinned as Mrs. Bailey started cooking a large breakfast for the women.

"I like it." Eric sounded curious. "Not used to it, but I like it."

"Remind me to take you to Boston." Rachael laughed, getting glares from Bronwyn and motions to hang up. "I'm being threatened. I love you."

"I love you too." Eric replied. "I'll see you at the end of the aisle." He promised before they hung up, Rachael submitting herself to her friends. They did everything imaginable to her skin, hair, and nails before determining she was ready. With the dress on her, they stood back in appreciation. It was a long off white lace gown with small lace sleeves and a dark crimson sash wrapped around her waist. Her veil was lined with like lace, covering her black hair that had been curled and decorated with dozens of small sparkling gems. With Courtney's touch of make-up and her bouquet in hand, she truly looked like a bride and posed for dozens of pictures for the photographer.

Courtney, Jen, and Katie slipped from the room to join the rest of the fifty or so guests in attendance in the main hallway of the house. The large staircase was set up to become the aisle, flowers and ribbons covering every inch of the railing, chairs set up in the hall facing an arch also covered in silver and crimson ribbons where the minister stood waiting. Once all of the guests were seated a pianist began to play a soft, modern, song as Eric and Wes came from the side to stand next to the minister, waiting for the bride. Bronwyn came down the aisle first, and solo, smiling in her knee length crimson dress and stood to the opposite side of the two men, turning back as the guests stood in anticipation of the bride.

The moment Rachael appeared at the top of the stairs with her father; Eric's heart seemed to stop. She literally took his breath away as she descended the stairs, her green eyes glued to his. If anyone asked him what she was wearing he couldn't tell them, the only thing he saw was her face through the thin veil covering her face. It seemed like seconds before she was standing next to him, Alan's grip on her hand tight. He lifted his daughter's veil and kissed her cheek before taking Eric's hand and clasping them together before seating himself in the first row next to Leta.

"Dearly beloved," The minister began and his deep voice, "we are gathered here to today to witness the joyous event of the joining of these two young people in the bonds of holy matrimony. They have invited you, their friends and family, to witness this momentous occasion as they promise their lives to one another."

To be perfectly honest, Rachael wasn't listening to him as he read the pieces she'd selected. She held onto Eric's hands tightly and looked into his eyes. Their eyes never strayed from each other's, not even when the minister spoke to Eric.

"Eric Joshua Myers, do you take Rachael Vivien Collins to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and promise to stand by her and love her forevermore?"

"I do." Eric responded his voice as soft and gentle as any of them had ever heard.

"Rachael Vivien Collins, do you take Eric Joshua Myers to by your lawfully wedded husband to have and hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and promise to stand by him and love him forevermore?"

"I do." Rachael's voice was strong despite how nervous she was.

"Please present the rings." The minister requested and Wes reached into his pocket, handing one to Eric and the other to his sister. Eric took the ring and slid it onto Rachael's left hand.

"With this ring, I thee wed." He tried to smile as Rachael held the silver ring in her own hand and slid it onto his left hand.

"With this ring, I thee wed." The gravity and finality of the rings on their fingers caused excitement to move through the room as the minister closed his bible.

"By the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife; you may kiss your bride." The man smiled as Eric leaned forward and placed a gentle but lingering kiss on his bride. "Ladies and Gentlemen I am honored to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Myers." Eric and Rachael turned smiling as the room exploded with applause, both grinning happily; Eric led her down the aisle and for the back of the house.

The back closed in porch had a high ceiling that now sported rented chandeliers and thousands of flowers and ribbons, but the best sight amidst all of it was the newly married couple that never left one another's sides as the night progressed. Through the music, dancing, food, and laughter the mood stayed high late into the early hours of the morning as they blew bubbles as Eric and Rachael got into the car, Wes and Lucas throwing snow at Eric that even he didn't mind as he drove away with his new wife. The employees of the caterers and the clean-up crew worked quickly to get things squared away as people drifted off to bed.

Feeling tired herself; Courtney went to find Wes to say good night. She found him sitting in the kitchen thoughtfully looking at the wall. "You alright?" She asked and moved next to him, relaxing when he looked at her and smiled.

"I'm fine, just thinking." He laughed. "My little sister got married today. To Eric." Shaking his head. "A year and a half ago if someone had told me this I'd have called them insane. They didn't even know each other, and now they're in love and married."

"Amazing isn't it." Courtney smiled sweetly, leaning against him.

"Amazing." Wes agreed as he pulled her closer to his body and kissed her. A strange feeling had her pressing closer, hands gripping onto his shirt. She felt drunk, but hadn't had any alcohol at the wedding for Wes' sake. He looked at her, his usually light blue eyes darkening rapidly with desire. Desire for her. She stepped back and pulled him with her. "Are you sure?" He whispered.

"I'm sure." Courtney nodded, and at that point, there wasn't much else in her life she was surer about. They went to her room hand in hand, the nerves rising in her chest as he closed the door behind them. Unsure quite what to do, Courtney moved to pull the pins from her hair, but he grabbed her hand before she could reach it and he pulled them out, running his hands through her now loose hair and bringing her lips to his. Feeling high as ever, Courtney let him control everything, barely feeling her clothing slip away before the electric shock of his bare skin touching hers. He laid her down on the bed and hovered over her, torturing her slowly before bringing her to a peak she'd never known before.

Hours later she settled into his arms, trying to catch her breath. He kissed her forehead gently as her eyes threatened to close. "Are you ok?" He asked softly. Slightly confused she attempted to murmur that she was more than alright before realizing exactly what he meant. They both knew he'd taken her virginity, and that was big.

"I'm wonderful." Courtney looked up at him in her bed and smiled. "It doesn't hurt."

"Good." Wes looked relieved and held her close, her hands against his chest as his held her shoulders. Her breathing steadied after a while, but he stayed wide awake for hours longer. He had severely conflicting feelings, yet no regrets. He loved the woman in his arms, and felt guilty he didn't feel guilty about the one sleeping in the other wing of the house. It was ridiculous to feel guilty because he had moved on and loved someone else right? Looking down at Courtney's peaceful face he smiled. She was his.

By the time she woke, he had fallen into an uneasy sleep, still holding onto her closely. Sighing contentedly, she moved a little and stretched upward, never feeling quite so deliciously sore in her entire life. Unaware Wes was awake; Courtney stifled a screaming laugh as he tackled her on the bed again, self conscious about being naked and tried to cover herself. "I've already seen it." Wes chuckled and kissed her, pulling her hands away from the sheet.

"Stop it." Courtney tried to be serious, but was quickly giving into his sensual onslaught. "Wes, we can't stay in bed all day." She tried.

"Why not?" Wes demanded as he kissed her neck, his hand sliding up her sides. She couldn't remember. There was absolutely no reasoning in her mind as to why they couldn't just stay where they were for hours. Giving completely into him, Courtney fought back, trying to cloud his mind as much as he had messed with hers. And judging by the sounds he'd been making, she felt successful when he fell to the other side of the bed, exhausted.

"Now." Courtney covered herself and leaned over him, a grin lighting her face. "I'm going to shower and be social, join me please."

"Yes ma'am." Wes leaned up and kissed her obediently, giving into whatever she wanted. There wasn't much he wouldn't do for her, and he thought about her often.

Having the office to himself for a week was strange, but when Eric returned from his honeymoon, they were almost instantly dragged back to not only their Guardian duties, but Time Force duties. And duties that they were not expecting. Married for only a week, Rachael was less than thrilled with her latest assignment from Time Force, but was excited about what it meant. Passing Lisa on her way to Eric and Wes' office, Rachael waved to the girl, getting a smile from the girl. Since yelling at her over leaving Eric alone they'd established an understanding between them, and it was ok now.

"Hey." Rachael burst through the door and spotted her husband alone at his desk. "Where's Wes?"

"No idea." Eric leaned back and took her hand, pulling her close to kiss her. "Why, what's up?" Rachael sat on his lap as his hands wrapped around her waist and sighed.

"Bronwyn called when I was home." She stared but Wes came in and frowned at them.

"Just because you're married now doesn't mean I want to see this." He protested, sliding his cell phone in his pocket.

"Did you just call Courtney?" Rachael grinned, completely ignoring his comment.

"Maybe." He frowned at her and went to his desk.

"Ha." Rachael grinned triumphantly, well aware, thanks to some other eyes, of where her brother had spent her wedding night. "Anyway, Bronwyn called me with a little task for us."

"And that is?" Eric asked as she sat down on the chair between their desks.

"There's police academy opening in NewTech City, they're trying to get former rangers to check it out. Bronwyn said we didn't have to go, but I'd like to." Rachael explained. "It's called Space Patrol Delta, originates from a planet called 'Sirius'." She had pulled out her traveler and was now reading the information about the organization on it. "They've gone intergalactic and created a new leadership. At their head of operations was at Alpha Base, which was located on Sirius, but the planet was destroyed and it's now on one of its moons." She made a face at the information as both men leaned in to listen. "They've built a space colony to be named Intendo Pax Pacis that is scheduled to finish and launch in 2020."

"That's seventeen years from now." Wes snorted in laughter. "They're ambitious." Eric laughed in agreement looking back to Rachael to continue.

"They're hopeful." She smiled and looked down at her traveler. "They've created a 'Board of Directors' a ten member governing body that hands down decisions to the base commanders they're assigned to. There is a Supreme Commander who is a type of figurehead for SPD, they're in charge of the commanders short term, the Directors work long term."

"Sounds complicated." Eric frowned. "Do you want to go?" He looked to Wes who shrugged. "I do." He looked to Rachael who nodded.

"I can set up an appointment, see if there's another rangers coming around that time." She offered as she looked at her traveler again.

"I'll go." Wes decided and checked his watch. "Let me know when it is."

"I'll call your secretary." Rachael looked at him with a quirk in her eyebrows then looked to her husband. She nearly laughed out loud at the thought of him being her husband, it was so exciting to see the ring on his hand when she woke up in the morning.

The three of them drove down to NewTech city, approximately a three hour drive, and got to the SPD base for their appointment around one in the afternoon, meeting with a ranger Wes and Eric knew from their red ranger mission a few months prior. Leo Corbett lived on Mirinoi, but was visiting Earth, specifically NewTech City for the same reason they were, to see the new organization from its beginning. The place was swarming with people, all dressed in their uniforms as they went about their work, not pausing to see the plain clothed people standing in the lobby.

"Hello." A deep voice greeted them, and what looked like a giant dog walked for them, but was dressed in the same uniform as the dozens of cadets. Eric's first thought was, what the hell is that, and why does it work for this police academy, but his second thought was that he wasn't sure exactly what was going on. Trying to at least pretend he was in control of the situation, he stood behind Rachael and rested his hand on her waist. "I am Commander Anubis Cruger, and I will be showing you our base."

"Wesley Collins." Wes extended his hand to shake Cruger's, which the huge blue dog accepted. "This is my sister, and brother in-law, Rachael and Eric Myers." Each of them shook hands with him.

"Leo Corbett." The other man shook hands with the Commander and they were on their way through the base. It was as if they'd perfectly orchestrated their visit with the schedule of the cadets training as they got to see them in all stages, including lessons and jobs they had to do when they weren't training. It was a very fascinating and informative tour of the base, and they were allowed into places most cadets weren't, including a short look at the main bridge, and down to the science wing where they were working on things right in front of them. Commander Cruger answered every question they asked, Eric not missing when Rachael looked at her traveler occasionally to ask a few that she didn't necessarily want to know. Those questions were intended to fluster him, and almost succeeded, but he managed answers.

"Thank you for joining us today." He faced them again at the conclusion of their tour. "I hope I've given you an accurate glimpse into what we are as an organization, and hope to have your support in the future." He bowed to them and requested they sign a guest book before leaving. Alone with the three red rangers, Rachael pulled her traveler into view and took a quick picture of each page of the guest book, instantly sending them to Bronwyn.

"Did that whole thing feel like a show to you?" Leo asked as the four of them left the base and stood near their vehicles.

"A very planned one." Wes agreed, crossing his arms and leaning against the SUV.

"I don't like it." Eric glanced at the tall building still under construction. "What does Bronwyn say?"

"Nothing." Rachael frowned. "Which is never good." She sighed and clicked a button to turn it black and looked up at the three men. "I don't think we'll have to worry right now."

"Let me know." Leo requested as he moved to the car he'd driven there. "I'll see you guys later." He waved and drove off, leaving the Time Force rangers together near their SUV for their long trip back to Silver Hills, and back to real life.


	16. Chapter 16

Trying to forget their suspicions about SPD without confirmation from Bronwyn, they went back to their lives in Silver Hills. The weeks went by rapidly, Wes working very hard to make his house a home, enlisting both Rachael and Courtney's help with the paint selections and choosing furniture. Wanting to make it nice, he searched for the right ones, not necessarily the cheapest or readily available. So his bedroom was basically the only room furnished for quite some time. Courtney would help him paint until late at night and then stay the night, this event occurring several times when she had to get up early for her morning classes at SHU.

Rachael and Eric were thrilled their wedding was over and could now settle into a normal life without the stress of planning anything. Leta had returned to Florida with Grace and her family, moving into an in-laws suite in their Miami home. Eric resumed his duties at Silver Guardians in a much better mood, while Rachael worked at teaching French to the college freshman students with more Time Force related things on the side, annoying her husband by coming home even later than he did sometimes.

Courtney still lived at the mansion with Alan most of the time, except for the nights she spent with Wes at his house. But then most of the other nights he found his way to her bed. Their relationship had taken a turn for the intense, and it terrified her. After her classes on sunny day in March, she drove right for Eric and Rachael's house and waited on the curb until Rachael's mustang pulled into the driveway. "I need to talk to you." Courtney followed her into the house and pace, unable to sit.

"Calm down, and tell me what's wrong." Rachael grabbed Courtney's shoulders, practically shaking her.

"I think I'm pregnant." Courtney's face was terrified and Rachael's heart dropped. Sure Wes and Courtney were doing well together, but it was way too soon for this. Rachael spun around and went for the spare room, digging around and producing a pregnancy test.

"After Eric's mother scared me at that dinner I keep a few around, but I haven't needed them." She opened it and skimmed the instructions. "When was your last period?"

"January." Courtney winced. "I thought I got it in February but it was too light." She was wringing her hands. "It barely crossed my mind until I just totally missed it this month."

"Ok, we'll go take this." Rachael handed her the stick and pointed to the bathroom. Courtney stayed in the bathroom for only a few minutes, bringing it out and setting it fearfully on the table.

"I'm sorry to bring you into this." She apologized to Rachael who waved it off.

"Don't be sorry." Rachael grasped the terrified woman's hand. "I'm glad you came to me." They held hands tightly for the few minutes the test took, watching the clock quietly.

"I can't look." Courtney whispered when time was up. "Please."

Rachael picked up the test and looked at it, checked the instructions to match them. Then she looked again and sighed, looking up at her. "It's positive." She put them down and took Courtney's hand. "Are you going to be ok?"

"I don't know." Courtney was frozen where she sat in the kitchen chair, her mind unable to register exactly what was happening. Rachael got her a glass of water, but it sat full in front of her while she sat there. Pregnant. She was pregnant with Wes' baby. They'd been together maybe five months, having sex for maybe two, and she was pregnant. She was going to be a mom. Oh God her mother was going to kill Wes. Her mind was racing through everything and anything possible, and before she knew it, Eric was seated with them at the table. "Eric." She managed.

"Hi." He looked sympathetic. "Do you need a ride over to Wes's?"

"No I'll take myself." Courtney tried, but he had her keys. How did he have her keys?

"No, let me rephrase, I've been here for a half hour and you just noticed." Eric's voice was stern but not angry. "I'll drive you to Wes'; Rachael will take your car." Her choice removed, she went along with them, unable to function on her own.

She went right into the house and set her things down on the table, looking at the home Wes was building. They'd found a couch a few days ago, and it sat happily in his living room, the fresh coat of paint on the walls just made the room radiate warmth. Taking a few deep breaths she tried to calm herself and called his name. "Wes?"

"Hey." Wes appeared at the top of the stairs, half dressed, grinning as he came down the stairs, wearing just his pants, no socks, shoes, or a shirt. He pulled her close and kissed her recklessly and tugged at her shirt. "Join me."

"No, Wes." Courtney sobered and backed up. "Not now."

"What's wrong?" He matched her mood instantly. "Are you ok?"

"I'm alright." She hugged her arms to herself and he moved closer.

"No you're not, what is it?" Wes demanded, and for the first time she felt as if he was towering over her.

"I'm pregnant." Courtney watched his eyes move from concern when he'd been asking, to fear as he stumbled back.

"Are you sure?" He managed after a minute.

"I took a test, Rachael read the result." She admitted and went for the kitchen, unwilling to commence the conversation in the front hall. Wes followed her closely, watching her body move. She sat at the table, leaning her head in her hands. He sat across from her and in silence, the options weighing heavily over him.

"It's your decision." He said quietly after a while. Courtney looked up at him, just staring.

"No it isn't. It's ours." Incredulously she looked at him. "This baby is yours too."

"But you're carrying it." Wes tried to protest, but the look on her face was stopping him. "I'll support whatever decision you want."

"You mean if I want to abort your baby you'll let me." Courtney's voice sounded dead. Wes visibly winced and she sighed. "Didn't think so."

"Sorry." Wes shook his head. "If you want to…"

"I don't." Courtney shook her head sadly as she looked at him. "I want this baby, I have no idea why or how this is going to work, but I'm having this baby." She looked defiant and strong.

"Ok." Wes agreed and the thought started to settle in his mind. He was going to be a father. "You should move in here." He commented. "We can set up a nursery in one of the rooms upstairs."

Courtney shook her head and lifted it. "Even if I wanted to, it's not possible. As soon as my mother finds out I'm pregnant she'll want me home."

"But your school?" Wes frowned as she shrugged. "You can at least finish this semester, then take a semester off and go back next spring to finish up." He didn't like how surprised she looked. "School is important, you need to finish." He shrugged.

"You'd do that for me? It could mean you're watching the baby a lot." Courtney looked wary.

"Sure." Wes looked uneasy. "I guess I'd have to learn how to take care of one first."

"So do I." Courtney sighed and buried her face in her hands. Wes stood and pulled her into his arms, putting her head on his shoulder. "I'm scared." She whispered as she pressed her cheek to him.

"Me too." He admitted. "Mostly of your mother."

"She's scary." Courtney agreed.

"Should we go then?" Wes looked at her and her eyes widened.

"God no, I want doctor's office evidence first." She shuddered and stepped back. "And dinner. Are you hungry?"

"Not anymore." Wes said honestly, leaning against the counter. "I can't think straight."

"Welcome to my afternoon." Courtney sighed and dug through the refrigerator to find some things to create dinner. "Eric said he was in the house for a half hour before I actually noticed he was there." She shook her head as she gave up and pulled out eggs and cheese. "He and Rachael drove me over."

"So they know." Wes tried to do a little inventory in his head.

"I didn't know who to go to, I just ended up at their house, I knew Rachael should come back from school." She shrugged as she tried to throw together a giant omelet.

"I'm glad you could go to her." Wes tried, his hands moving at his sides as if he was itching.

"Drink some water." Courtney threw a glance at him. "You've come too far to stop now."

"It's scary how you know when I want a drink." Wes frowned and moved toward her, kissing her forehead.

"Not really, I want one too." Courtney sighed. "Ironically the one time I really feel like I need one, I can't have one."

"You adorable alcoholic." Wes teased, kissing her temple as she stirred the egg and cheese mash that was forming in the pan. "That smells good, what did you do to it?"

"Nothing." Courtney laughed and threw a pile of it on a plate, and then a second pile on her own. They ate quietly, the combination of the eggs and cheese barely settling for either of them. Wes took her upstairs and they lay in his bed, quietly lying together. "When do you have a day off?" She murmured.

"Whenever you want to." Wes replied. "Make an appointment, if you want me there, I'll come, otherwise just let me know when you want to go see your mother."

"How does never sound?" Courtney nestled closer to him. "We can elope to Belgium and live the rest of our lives with fake identities and never have to face her."

"Why Belgium?" Wes sounded amused.

"They speak French there." Courtney reasoned. "You know a little, you could pick it up."

"Sure." Wes agreed. "I can contact my sister through Time Force, totally logical." He laughed and kissed Courtney's forehead as she laughed with him.

Courtney managed to get an appointment the next day and the doctor confirmed her pregnancy, estimating her due date around the end of October. Information and a date for a sonogram in hand, she went to the Silver Guardian headquarters to give Wes that much. They agreed to get the sonogram before going to see her mother, and Eric agreed to take over for as long as Wes needed. The sonogram appointment the next week was nerve wracking, and since she was only a few weeks pregnant, the baby didn't look like much, but it was there, and healthy.

But their excuses were gone. The day they drove to Briarwood, Courtney fidgeted the entire way, not only because of the secret growing in her belly, but the fact that Wes was about to get the full effect of her upbringing. When they got to the town limits she had him go to a small park in the center of town, little shops surrounding its edges. Courtney got out and stood in the middle, waiting for Wes to come up to her.

"Where are we going?" He asked curiously. Courtney turned and kissed him as passionately as ever, pouring her entire soul into their last moment of freedom.

"This way." She murmured and took his hand, walking right up to a tree and laying her hand on it. Wes didn't have a moment to be confused as they were pulled through the tree, seeing things blur past his eyes before landing. Courtney grabbed his arm to keep him on his feet as he stumbled further than she did.

"What the hell?"

"It's magic, Wes." Courtney said softly. "One of the few portals to Il d'Avalon is through the Briarwood forests, but we use the tree network, it's faster."

"So we technically didn't have to drive?" Wes sounded odd, as if his sense of humor war warring with fear and utter confusion.

"Technically." Courtney smiled and took his hand, turning toward the massive castle behind them. Wes gave a low whistle.

"And I thought I grew up in a big house."

"It's a palace; your house can fit in this several times." Courtney didn't sound proud of her home as they approached it. "Let me do the talking, people here are wary of outsiders." Her hand squeezed his as she pushed her way through one of the larger back doors. The place was swarming with creatures that looked like they'd stepped out of storybooks, but they were backing away as soon as they saw Courtney, bowing to her. She ignored them completely, not one spoke to her, and she didn't speak to any of them, practically having to drag Wes after her as she came up to a very ornate door. It was twice as high as he was tall and inlaid with gold and silver leaves, but missing something he felt was vital with a door. A handle.

Courtney raised her hand and traced her finger along the crest in the middle and the door cracked open. Breathing deeply, she pushed it open, pulling Wes in after her. Arwyn Patricks sat at a large antique desk that had probably sat in that room for centuries, if not millennia. Her short bob of hair was styled perfectly around her head, violet eyes piercing as she looked up at her oldest daughter. She had a slight smile for a moment, but it faded rapidly. "You're pregnant." She said with a sigh, leaning back in her seat.

"Hello Mother." Courtney sighed, not bothering to deny anything.

"Courtney." Arwyn frowned. "Even though you aren't in line to inherit the throne, you should still be aware…"

"That my actions affect the family, I know." Courtney snapped, stepping forward, arms crossing over her chest. "I've heard it a million times, I know I won't inherit, you can stop reminding me." Fury radiated from her more at that moment than Wes had ever seen. "I have literally no responsibilities here, and I've found something I want. I'm going to stay with Wes, and we're going to be parents to this child. You can be a grandmother if you want." She handed the option out and stood there, more royal at that moment than ever before. Arwyn stared for a moment before standing.

"Of course I will be." She moved to her daughter. "I worry about your image more than mine."

"I'll be fine." Courtney was still holding her arms over her chest. Arwyn touched her shoulders, getting her to relax, give in, and weakly hug her mother. The older woman turned to Wes.

"What do you plan on doing?"

"Whatever Courtney wants me to." Wes said, standing straight at the woman's challenge. "I've offered for her to move in to my house, I have room for all three of us comfortably."

"I will not allow my daughter to live with you." Arwyn shook her head and looked at Courtney. "Though I am your mother, I am also your Queen, and you must obey me."

"I know that." Courtney frowned. "Wes is trying to help."

"I can see that. Here are your choices; you may move back here and complete your pregnancy in my care, or you may marry and live with Wes." Arwyn handed the options out definitively. Courtney looked wide eyed at Wes who frowned.

"It's important that she finished her school." He said to Arwyn, stepping up to touch Courtney's waist. "If she moves back here, she'll have to drop out of her semester at SHU."

"She'll face no penalty."

"She'll have to retake all of those classes." Wes protested. "She should finish this semester."

"I'll not have her live with you, and clearly living in your father's house isn't a good situation." Arwyn frowned and seated herself behind her desk. "Please make your decision." Wes turned to Courtney and pulled her to the corner to have some, if imagined, privacy.

"I'm not going to lie and say it hasn't crossed my mind." Wes started, taking her hands. "I didn't want to ask you to marry me just because you're pregnant. I would marry you because I love you." He said the words for the first time in a terrible situation, but he said them. His blue eyes were focused right on hers, sincerity in them.

"Are you sure?" Courtney's voice nearly failed her.

"Yes." His voice was steady, but his hand was holding hers was shaking. "It scares me, but I'm sure." He tried to laugh, but was unclear. "I love you." He repeated softly.

"I love you too." Courtney was thrilled to say the words back; less thrilled her mother was present to hear it for the first time. Squeezing his hand, Courtney turned to her mother, but Wes moved in front of her, leading her.

"We'll be getting married." Wes informed her and Arwyn's eyes narrowed, clearly not the outcome she'd been hoping for. "She'll continue to live at my father's house for the next few weeks, then we'll marry and she'll move in with me."

"Fine." Arwyn sighed. "Your sisters are in their rooms, I'm sure they'll want to hear about this." Courtney nodded and pulled Wes from the office, breathing out, walking slower toward the residential wing of the palace. That part was less occupied, and Wes didn't feel awkward slipping his arm around Courtney's waist as her head rested on his shoulder, neither mentioning their sudden engagement.

"Warning, they're typical fifteen year old girls." Courtney warned before pushing her way into a room. The room looked just like Rachael's had growing up, strewn with clothing, brightly colored furniture, books, electronics, and other things teenage girls had. Two perfectly identical girls hugged Courtney, loudly exclaiming their hellos, at least until they saw Wes.

"Hi there." One of them stepped up to him in a red tank, extending her hand. "You must be the boyfriend. I'm Kaitlynn." She grinned with a toss of her dark brown curls, the familiar violet eyes watching him.

"Wes." He introduced himself as the other came forward, wearing a purple tank with silver thread.

"Davina." She said, less outgoing as her sister, but the same grin on her face.

"Guys, we have a little announcement." Courtney brought their attention back to her. Both twins waited until she gave in. "Wes and I are having a baby."

Davina gasped and excitedly hugged Courtney, but Kaitlynn stood back, hands on her hips, thinking. She weakly smiled, but spoke. "You haven't been together that long."

"I know." Courtney looked to Wes who didn't have a reaction. "We're working on that, looks like there's going to be a wedding soon."

"Are you sure?" Kaitlynn was clearly the more responsible of the twins, asking the questions that needed to be answered.

"Yes." Wes answered, getting her attention. "I'm sure." Kaitlynn looked from Wes to Courtney a few times and shrugged, moving to her sister and throwing her arms around her.

"Then I'm happy for you. Are you telling Liam, or is Meré?"

"I don't want to think about what Liam's going to do." Courtney shook her head. "But we need to get back to Silver Hills, I have class tomorrow morning." She hugged her sisters with the promise to call them about the wedding plans before leaving with Wes, taking a tree back to their car. Annoyed at how weird that felt, Wes took control by driving all the way back to Silver Hills, pushing the speed limit as Eric never would.

Eric, who was helping his wife clean up after dinner by washing dishes, thinking about her brother. "Do you think they'll be ok?" He asked as Rachael put the leftovers in Tupperware. She sighed.

"I think so." She sounded optimistic. "Honestly, I'm just glad it's not me." Rachael leaned against the counter. "Terrible, but true. I'm still getting used to being married."

"New last name." Eric teased her, watching her flush red.

"I said I was sorry about that." Rachael muttered. "I was a Collins for twenty-two years, I've been a Myers for three months, I'm sorry." She wrinkled her nose, turning her head as Eric leaned in to kiss her. He dried his hands before pressing her against the fridge.

"So Mrs. Myers, what do you want to do tonight?" He asked, not really giving her the option as he nuzzled her neck.

"There's hockey on." Rachael tried, but wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved from her neck to her mouth, going for her shirt. She was on the verge of pulling it off herself when a knock sounded on the door. Eric swore and backed off as Rachael laughed; fixing her shirt and pulling her now mussed hair out of the ponytail, leaving it loose to open the door. "Wes." She back up to let him in.

"Sorry, I had to come." He was pale and moved in, directly sitting at their kitchen table.

"Whoa, are you ok?" Rachael sat down next to him, touching his shoulder. "Wes, what happened?"

"Her mom said she couldn't live with me unless we were married, otherwise she has to move back there." Wes abridged the story as he spoke. "So we're getting married in three weeks." Rachael and Eric were silent; they had no idea what to say, or how to comfort him. "Don't ask me if I'm sure." He warned.

"Wasn't planning on it." Rachael lied. "Do you love her?"

"Yes." Wes sighed, pressing his face in his hands. "I love her, I want to marry her, but it's terrifying."

"How do you think I felt?" Eric come over and sat at the table with them. Wes looked up curiously, Eric didn't talk about his feelings, or however he felt about Rachael at first. "I'd never so much as made friends before, you know that." He played with the shiny wedding ring on his left hand. "It's supposed to be terrifying."

"God I was scared." Rachael laughed. "Being in love still scares me sometimes." She admitted, getting Wes to look at her. "It's worth it." She gripped his shoulder. "I'm sure Courtney is just as scared as you are. I can't imagine adding a baby."

"You should have the baby, you're married." Wes tried to tease her, getting a shudder.

"No thanks." Rachael shook her head. "I have enough responsibilities right now. But I will offer babysitting services." She hugged her brother, listening to him sigh.

"Thanks, I feel better." He looked to Eric. "You think I can do it?"

"Sure." Eric replied. "It's not always easy, but if you work at it you can manage."

"You're saying Rachael isn't easy to live with?" Wes feigned surprise, getting hit for it, which only made Eric laugh harder.

"That's it get out." Rachael pulled him to his feel. "Out of my house." She pushed Wes for the door as he laughed and protested. "If you don't leave in the next minute I'm going to make you very uncomfortable." She threatened and Wes frowned.

"Fine, see you tomorrow." He said to Eric and left through the back door.

"What kind of things to make him uncomfortable?" Eric asked curiously. Rachael thought for a moment, glanced at the closed blinds and then back to him before removing her shirt in one quick moment.

"Come here and find out." She beckoned him with one finger, backing into their bedroom. Eric pushed off from the table to catch her, tackling her on their bed. Rachael laughed under him, grabbing at his shirt and flinging it away, rolling him over and moving to straddle him.

"I'm glad you made Wes leave." Eric muttered as she looked down at him.

"Never." Rachael started and leaned down. "Never, ever mention my brother when I'm trying to seduce you."

"Yes ma'am." Eric acquiesced to her advances happily, a definite perk to being married. Sure they'd been living together, but the new feeling of permanence was different, it was nice. She even wore her belly ring more often for him. The stupid little stone with charm was strangely attractive, but there wasn't much about Rachael that didn't turn him on. As they settled in for sleep, he looked at her peaceful face, grateful they'd had time to move into their relationship. It was absurd to think that moving in together after three days was more time than Wes and Courtney who'd never actually lived together. "I love you." He murmured, pausing and not hearing a reply as she slept comfortably in his arms.

Though she'd just escaped the hell of planning her own wedding, Rachael was quickly lassoed into helping Courtney convince her mother to give her more control of her own wedding. Compromises were met, and with a lot of give and take on both sides, they managed to create a small ceremony in the mansion and the reception just where Rachael's had been. There was only family in attendance; Arwyn brought Liam and the twins, while Wes' side consisted of Eric, Rachael, and his father. It was more of a dinner party than an actual wedding, especially since Arwyn herself married them.

The ceremony had to be in accordance with their laws, and as such, the non-Avalonian guests had absolutely no idea what was happening. But the ordeal was a fascinating mixture of candles, a drink, and some magical references that were purely shocking. The things they did recognize were the incorporation of some traditional vows and the exchanging of the rings. Courtney's dress was a shorter tea-length dress that was just pure white cotton with a touch of lace at the edge and sleeves, and purple flowers decorated her upswept blonde hair. The couple was all smiles for their wedding day despite previous, and perhaps some relenting, misgivings. But when it was over, it was done, their marriage was not only binding, but legally so.

Rachael and Mrs. Bailey had cooked the meal themselves, and served it at the large dining room table. Arwyn was content to speak with Alan as he was her old friend and the twins were almost as good as Courtney at getting people to open up and talk. Liam however, was stubbornly silent throughout the meal, giving one word answers if he had no other choice. Courtney frowned at him, but he didn't relent. Of all people, Eric managed to get him talking by asking him to describe what he did, that floored everyone but his family. Liam was a dragon trainer, the fact dragons existed was strange enough, but that there were people who dedicated their lives to raising and training them, that was fascinating.

Despite getting him to talk, he was still stubborn, even rudely asking a sister a question in French to bypass the Collins family, receiving a surprise when Rachael answered, also in French. Those moments aside, the dinner went relatively smoothly, ending fairly early and sending the newlyweds off to Wes' house.

Rachael nearly fell asleep as Eric drove her home, sleepily stumbling up the stairs into the house, relying on his help. Trying to get to bed to sleep, she groaned at an incessant beeping coming from a device she'd purposefully left at home. Pressing the button on her traveler to bring up the video feed, she was almost annoyed to see the familiar blonde. "What, Bronwyn?"

"Wow, cranky." Bronwyn raised her eyebrows. "Why are you dressed up?" Rachael straightened uncomfortably.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, we were at a wedding." Rachael nodded, adrenaline waking her up. "Wes and Courtney got married today." Bronwyn didn't move, but blinked a few times.

"Are you serious?"

"Perfectly." Rachael sighed. "She's pregnant."

"Oh God." Bronwyn leaned back in her seat. "That is going to make this next news worse."

"What?" Rachael frowned. "And don't tell me I can't tell Eric because he's standing behind me and I'm way too tired to find somewhere else."

"It's alright if he knows, you can tell him whatever, I trust him." Bronwyn waved it off as Rachael muttered 'now she tells me' as quietly as she could. "The Vakor family is plotting revenge for your capturing Batuir and Hinal." She shook her head. "They're planning something, but it's too soon to tell what, when, or where it's going to happen. We've managed to get most of their time traveling equipment, but from what we got out of that apartment over the O'Reilly's bar, it looks like there's at least two more of their own 'traveler' type devices out there."

"So what do you want me to do?" Rachael asked, pulling off the black sweater she'd worn over her dress.

"Keep an eye out for right now, come to Time Force soon to get briefed, Jen's working this case." Bronwyn tilted her head as she added the last part. "She's dating this guy from down in maintenance right now, they're not serious."

"I didn't think Wes and Courtney were serious." Rachael pointed out.

"True." Bronwyn raised her eyebrows. "But it looks like I'll be able to get you guys here for my wedding." She added and Rachael closed her eyes.

"God another wedding. Congratulations." She smiled. "Lucas proposed then."

"Recently." Bronwyn grinned as she held up her left hand, showing off the sparkling diamond that sat on her second finger. "There's no date or anything just yet, and if this Vakor family situation gets any worse we'll postpone it." She shook her head. "He's been doing a lot of undercover work with them."

"He'll be fine." Rachael assured her friend. "He's a ranger."

"I know." Bronwyn nodded and smiled again. "But I can still worry. Anyway, I'll let Eric have you back."

"Thanks." Eric replied from behind where Bronwyn couldn't see him, but she heard him and laughed, disconnecting without another word. "Are you going to be able to teach still?" He asked curiously and Rachael frowned.

"I'm not really sure. Not if it gets bad." She stood and pulled the pins from her hair, letting it fall in a black sheath behind her head. "I'll play it by ear, been watching the high school for a part time job though, maybe I'll switch to that."

"We don't really need the money; you don't have to work three jobs." Eric frowned as he started to remove his suit jacket and tie.

"I'd just work at SHU and Time Force." Rachael explained. "I can't not work here, I'd go crazy."

"Heaven forbid you be crazy." Eric kissed his wife and pulled her for their room despite her displeasure at being called crazy. "Bedtime crazy lady."

"Keep talking and you'll have a nice couch to sleep on." Rachael threatened, though both knew it was empty. He'd have to be really stupid to get her to not only be angry at him, but kick him out of their bed. Not that either of them hadn't said stupid things, and arguments occurred at least once or twice a week, but usually one of them was intelligent enough to give in, or find a way to compromise so they could at least get to bed and finish arguing the next day. Unorthodox sure, but it worked.


	17. Chapter 17

The newlyweds were settling into their new life uneasily, neither of them exactly sure what came next. Courtney sat on the bed with her legs folded under her while Wes did something in another part of the house, she wasn't entirely sure what. Her things dotted the room now; her clothes were hanging in his closet, her shoes mixed with his. Sighing, she looked around at the other things in the room, eyes catching a small, worn piece of paper sitting on his bedside table. She pulled it from under a dime novel and smiled. It was his copy of the sonogram, very worn and wrinkled from looking at it so often.

"Alright." Wes came into the room; not noticing her put the picture back, holding two glasses of what looked like bubbly.

"Wes." Courtney started, but he shushed her.

"It's ginger ale, humor me." He grinned and handed her the flute. "To our future." He said and tapped her glass with his and sipped as he sat next to her on their bed. Courtney smiled and sipped her own drink, the soda tickling her nose and making her laugh. Wes laughed as she did, taking the glasses and setting them on the table by leaning over her. On his way back to his side, he rested his hand on her stomach reverently. "I'm starting to get excited." He admitted.

"Good." Courtney smiled and breathed out. "I'm so excited." A light laugh escaped her at first, but soon she was lying on the bed, laughing so hard it was getting hard to breathe. Wes watched her curiously, unsure how to react.

"What is wrong with you?" He asked curiously, leaning over her as she calmed down.

"I have class on Monday." She explained, trying to stifle her laughter. "I got married tonight, and I have to go back to class." Sighing deeply, the smile was still on her face as she looked up at the man who was now her husband. "Our honeymoon is during my spring break." Wes chuckled.

"Well we won't be going to keg parties." He teased her. "I'm not sure Dad would pay for us to."

"At least not while I'm pregnant." Courtney said as if it was reasonable to say that. "It's nice of your Dad to pay for it."

"He paid for Rachael and Eric to go to Fiji." Wes explained. "It's his wedding present for us."

"He told me he'd buy a crib set." Courtney frowned.

"And that's his baby shower present." Wes grinned. "Don't worry about it; I've already talked to him about it." He leaned in and kissed her softly. "We'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Courtney felt herself losing control on the conversation as she became more and more aware of what was happening.

"Definitely." Wes murmured. "Now." He focused on her. "It is our wedding night, and I really don't want to spend it talking."

"Me either." Courtney leaned up and locked her lips to his making him fall backward, pulling her with him. Conversation effectively ended they lost track of time and reality, spending their first day and a half as a married couple only leaving their bed to eat, and then only when absolutely necessary. Monday morning saw Wes back to work and Courtney to her classes, the only real change the pair of rings on her left hand. Wes had bought her a beautiful engagement ring a few days after visiting Briarwood; it was an engraved silver band with a beautiful purple sapphire set between two small diamonds that fit perfectly with the wedding band that now sat with it. Wes' was a plain silver band that went with hers; generally not able to wear it for Silver Guardian duties, so it usually got left on his desk, not making for a very happy wife.

"Here." Eric dropped a long silver chain on Wes' desk, a month after his wedding.

"What's this?" Wes picked it up to examine the plastic package, ripping it open.

"For your ring." Eric sat at his desk and pulled out the reports he'd been filing. "Rachael got pissed I kept forgetting mine, so I just wear it around my neck." He explained with a half hearted shrug.

"Thanks." Wes immediately put his ring on the chain and around his neck. "Did Rachael buy it?" He asked suspiciously.

"No." Eric admitted and looked up. "Does it matter?"

"Just asking." Wes grinned. "You do realize we're sort of brothers?"

"Yes." Eric looked back to his work, trying to ignore Wes. "Rachael informed me of that with as much pleasure as you have now."

"She's good about that." Wes nodded slowly. "Have you heard anything from the future?" He saw Eric freeze for a moment before shaking his head. "Liar."

"Ask Rachael, I'm not even supposed to know anything." Eric frowned. "They do know about you and Courtney though." He added and Wes grimaced. There was an awkward pause as they both thought about who would hear about that and how they would feel. It was impossible for them to come in time for his wedding, and they hadn't made a big deal about it anyway so he could only hope they didn't hate him for it. The phone rang on Eric's side of the desk and he picked it up, grateful for the interruption, at least until he heard the other voice.

"Eric, I need help." Rachael's voice was panicked and so loud Wes could hear her without being on speaker. Both men stood, but stayed with the phone. "I'm subbing at Silver Hills High, we're under attack, the staff is trying to get the students into the gym." She was out of breath. "I can't tell what they are, but they're not human. Bring your morphers." She ordered and hung up. Eric and Wes ran for their SUV, the Silver Guardians swarming after them, most of the men and women having children in attendance at the high school.

"Rachael, we're outside." Wes informed her through the morpher as they had the Guardians spread out and began firing on the dozens of creatures ripping at the high school's walls.

"Good." Her voice was quiet. "I don't see a leader, have the Guardians keep consistent fire, the students and most of the staff are safe. Let me know when you go in."

"Rodger." Wes replied, standing up and joining Eric as the creatures turned and began attacking guardians. They were shorter than cyclobots, but definitely mechanical, and black in color. Faceless, one arm was a blade while the other was a gun, able to duck around the Silver Guardians, forcing Eric and Wes to pull out the weapon they saved for emergencies.

Eric sent the call out to Rachael as he and Wes morphed and moved into hand-to-hand combat with the creatures, Rachael coming from somewhere to attack the ones that tried to get them from behind. The three rangers managed to crush the attack after at least fifteen minutes of intense fighting, with no appearance from a greater power. Unable to determine what had caused the attack, the Silver Guardians released the children to the anxious parents who'd gathered by the barricade, effectively ending school for the day. Rachael disappeared around the school morphed and came out with the other staff, making it look as if she was inside the entire time. Despite Wes and Eric being publicly known for being rangers, Rachael kept hers on the DL, smiling when told she was lucky to be married to a ranger.

"Are you ok?" Eric touched her hand as she came over, looking both winded and angry.

"Fine." She replied and looked up at him, squeezing his fingers lightly before releasing and going to help a few of the injured Silver Guardians. It took them a while to make sure the area was secure before getting back to Eric and Wes' office. They set up the computer and got it on as Rachael walked in the door, followed closely by a scared looking Courtney.

"The entire town is going on about it." She had her arms crossed nervously over her stomach that was barely protruding. At only three months it wasn't obvious she was pregnant, but it was getting more obvious as the weeks passed. "They closed SHU."

"Damn." Wes held her with one arm, careful to be off screen as Rachael opened communication between them and the future.

"Well hi." Bronwyn smiled as they called, but it quickly faded as she realized neither Eric or Rachael were smiling. "What happened?"

"We were attacked today." Rachael frowned. "By God knows what, you had no idea?"

"No." Bronwyn was rapidly typing on her end, trying to find the right incident. "Damnit, they slipped through."

"Who did?" Rachael demanded, trying to get Bronwyn to speak.

"These?" Bronwyn brought up a picture of the things they'd battled earlier, nodding in confirmation, Bronwyn continued. "They're a bastardization of the cyclobots Ransik used, upgraded with some new parts."

"So they're tougher." Rachael sighed. "I definitely agree with that assessment."

"Theoretically, but they're new, they've probably got a bug somewhere, just try and find it." Bronwyn advised. "Who sent them?"

"No idea." Rachael shook her head. "I didn't see anyone." She looked back to Eric who shook his head then to her brother who imitated the movement. "Nope, nothing."

"They're playing us." Bronwyn's eyes narrowed darkly. "I can't send reinforcements unless there's a definitive threat, especially when there isn't anyone heading it."

"You mean you can't help us because there isn't a visible leader?" Rachael was floored, staring mouth open at her friend.

"Pretty much." Bronwyn looked pissed. "It would be a massive breach of protocol to send anyone, they'd fire all of us." She looked up, her face set oddly as she looked at Rachael. "You know there's only one other."

"I know." Rachael sighed. "Send her."

"What?" Eric frowned behind his wife, but she ignored him.

"It'll take at least a day or two." Bronwyn shifted a few things on her desk. "Let me know when she gets there."

"I will." Rachael promised and cut her off, taking a moment before facing the others. Eric was now scowling at her, arms crossed defensively. "I'm not the only Lieutenant." She started and he instantly softened. "When we're in Millennium City, there are six of us, but right now, just two."

"The other four?" Courtney asked curiously as both men were silent.

"Haven't become rangers yet." Rachael explained with a sigh and checked her traveler. "It'll be at least six months before we'll have a third." She looked to her husband. "You remember Leo Corbett?" He nodded in response. "It's his sister, Laina."

"Was she a ranger?" Wes asked, not remembering Leo saying anything about having a sister, let alone one that was a ranger.

"Not technically, but neither am I." Rachael laughed a little, her face still set in concern. "She's got power though, Quasar saber."

"Can't we ask for other ranger team's help?" Wes tried, but Rachael shook her head.

"We don't have a reason. You heard Bronwyn, there's no obvious villain here, so Time Force won't risk changing time until it's certain." She sighed. "We have to figure it out, and prove they're here, and then they'll send reinforcements."

"But not before." Eric clarified, getting a sad nod in response. "So we have to get ourselves killed before they'll help us."

"If I could help it, I would. I can't go to Time Force unless Bronwyn clears it with Supervisor, and asking seems pointless." Rachael packed up the holographic computer and stowed it in Eric's side of the desk. Courtney gripped Wes' shirt, comforted by his arm protectively around her waist, his hand resting on their baby. He looked at her for a moment before pulling away from where they'd been leaning, taking her with him.

"I'm going to take Courtney home." He said to Eric and Rachael who both nodded and watched them leave. As soon as the door was closed, Rachael sighed.

"Fortunately they were probably after me today."

"What do you mean 'fortunately'?" Eric snapped, getting her to look up with annoyance.

"I mean they didn't attack Courtney." She snapped back. "If they know anything about us, they'll go after her and you know that."

"You'd rather be the target yourself?"

"I'm not pregnant, Eric." Rachael hissed. "I can get injured and heal, getting a good kick to the stomach won't do anything to me. Just that could _kill_ their baby." Frustrated, Eric pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's not that I want someone else injured." He said slowly. "I just don't want you injured."

"Eric…"

"Don't try to placate me." Eric snapped, grabbing her arm and jolting her against his body and kissing her fiercely. The kiss was hard, but conveyed more emotion in that moment than anything else. He pulled back and looked at her stunned face. "You can't imagine how I felt seeing you in a hospital bed, clinging to your life, not once, but twice." His voice moved from angry to desperate. "You're everything to me." He rested his head against her forehead as a tear streaked down her cheek.

"I love you." Rachael replied, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I love you so much, and seeing you injured hurt me." She sniffed in. "You were never dying, but that didn't mean it didn't kill me." She wrapped her arms around his back and laid her head on his chest. Eric rested his head on top of hers, holding her close. "I want to go home." She murmured after the tears vanished.

"It's barely two." Eric looked at the clock. "I can't leave."

"Yes you can." She looked up. "You're in charge, leave your communicator on, and please come home with me." Rachael was almost begging, and she wasn't one of those needy women that needed their man at their side 24/7 to feel safe, to feel wanted. She accepted they were apart a lot, and when they were together, it was good, but right now she needed him.

"Give me a minute." He kissed her quickly and left the room for a few minutes, delegating tasks between the higher ranking Guardians, allowing a few to leave to make sure their children were alright, but they all had to keep their communicators on in case something happened.

Nothing did, but it didn't mean none of them weren't anxious and on constant alert for the rest of the afternoon and night. Eric and Rachael spent all of that time together, hours of endless quality time that left neither satiated nor rested. But the worst part was the next morning when they had to leave and go back to life. They stayed in bed past a reasonable time, but the rush to make it to work on time was worth it. And two days later they had a house guest.

Eric arrived home first that night, seeing a woman with short curly brown hair sitting on their front porch, standing up and stepping forward as he approached. She had dark brown eyes to match, and a ring on her left hand as she extended her right. "Hey, I'm Laina." She introduced herself. "You must be Eric."

"Hey." He returned and unlocked the house, showing her to the spare room where he and Rachael had set up a borrowed bed frame and mattress on the floor for her. "Sorry about all this." Eric gestured to the stacks of boxes scattered around.

"No, it's fine." Laina laughed, shaking her head. "I've lived in worse. This will be fine. Just a little different." She rubbed her hands together, fingers hesitating on the ring.

"Married?" Eric asked and she nodded.

"Just about a year now." She smiled, following Eric to the kitchen. "Haven't really spent much time away from him, it's going to be hard."

"Where is he?"

"KO-35." She replied and Eric turned curiously, making her laugh. "I'm not Karovian, he is, we live there half the year, and then go to Mirinoi for the other half."

"Sounds complicated." Eric commented, offering her a beer which she took.

"It can be, but it's important for him to work for his planet, and for me to see my brothers." Laina explained as she twisted the cap off of the beer. Eric excused himself to change from his work clothes, emerging from the room to see his wife embrace her friend. "Strange to see you in our own time." Laina chuckled and Rachael laughed.

"You're older than I am." She teased and moved for her husband, giving him a light kiss hello. "How was your day?"

"Got attacked again." He shrugged. The upgraded cyclobots were wreaking havoc on the city of Silver Hills, attacking only once per day the last three days, and only in one location. "Wes took a shot to the arm, but he's alright." Rachael winced at her brother's pain, shaking her head.

"Well Courtney said she'd make the five of us dinner, then we can all get caught up." She ducked past Eric to change, coming out only a few minutes later, ushering Laina to Eric's SUV. They made it to the suburban dream house in a few minutes, laughing at Laina's exclamation of surprise at the house. Wes came to the door with a sling on his arm as they entered, welcoming Laina easily, leading them to the kitchen. Courtney watched the four of them discuss their theories and explain to Laina the details of the Time Force team's defeats against Ransik and the Vakor family, things Wes had explained to her weeks ago.

When the food timer went off Rachael got up and helped her serve it up and deliver it to their guest and her husband while Courtney sat next to Wes, immersing herself into the conversation effectively. "What if they figure it out in the future?" She asked and Rachael paused.

"God I hope they do." She admitted. "Seriously, now is not the time for us to get mixed up in this."

"Because I'm pregnant?" Courtney asked softly, resting her hand on the slight bulge under her shirt. Rachael paused.

"Yes." She admitted. "I don't want you, or that baby in danger."

"If it gets bad, I can go stay with my mother." Courtney looked to Wes who frowned. "Not permanently." She put her hand on his leg, smiling when he took it protectively.

"Can't you do something?" He asked. "Charm the house or something?"

"Maybe." Courtney frowned. "I hadn't thought about that to be honest, I don't like using magic here."

"In the real world?" Wes grinned, getting her to roll her eyes as he laughed.

"Bronwyn says they've got a lead." Rachael read from her traveler. "She says Lucas and Jen are investigating it while Katie and Tripp are running back up."

"They're still a team." Eric leaned over her shoulder to try and read what she was doing, surprised that she actually turned it so he could see.

"They work well together." Rachael grinned, turning her head to look at him, her face inches from his cheek.

"If things are resolved, I'm glad I came anyway." Laina interrupted the couple. "It's been a while since I've been to Earth." She smiled and leaned back in her chair, her own traveler sitting on the table in front of her.

"Are you going to get down to Mexico?" Rachael asked and Laina nodded slowly. "I'm sure your parents would love to see you."

"Si, they would." Laina replied with a smile. "It's hard when all three of your children uproot and fly off in a space colony. Especially when your younger son was supposed to stay behind with you." She snorted with laughter.

"Leo?" Wes wrinkled his brow, getting a nod from Laina.

"He wasn't supposed to be on Terra Venture, he stowed away." She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Insane kid, but we were lucky he did, we wouldn't have been able to defeat Trakeena. Either time." She added with a laugh.

"He never mentioned that." Wes looked to Eric who frowned. "We should bring that up next time."

"Don't tell him I told you, but please, go for it." Laina laughed, her face lighting up as they discussed her brother. "We've always been competitive, very close, but competitive."

"We're only a year apart." Rachael eyed her brother and he wrinkled his nose at her. "I've had to atone for being born on his first birthday my whole life." She laughed as Wes nodded.

"You couldn't wait a day, or be born the day before." He sighed, faking anger.

"Well Leo and I are twins, same day, same year." Laina smiled shaking her head. "For a long time he was my other half. We're both married now, but he's still my brother, I miss him when we're apart." She checked her watch. "Is Bronwyn going to call back?"

"Probably not tonight." Rachael checked her traveler. "We'll be lucky if she ever calls."

Her assessment was slightly accurate as Bronwyn didn't call for three days. They battled the upgraded cyclobots on the same routine, once a day, at any time of the day. The first morning they attacked the bank at three in the morning, and Laina demonstrated her power, using a sword to morph into a purple and white shaded Galaxy ranger and fighting alongside the three Time Force rangers, not even bothering to call in the Silver Guardians for that battle. But when Bronwyn did call, they were ready.

"We've got a portal type thing." Bronwyn frowned as she explained. "Someone, still no clear indication who,"

"Vakor." Rachael interrupted and Bronwyn gave her a glare before continuing.

"… it is, it's where they're shuffling the cyclobots through to your time." Bronwyn finished, leaning forward on her desk, speaking to the four rangers standing in Eric and Wes' office.

"So there isn't anyone here?" Wes asked anxiously, relaxing as Bronwyn confirmed.

"Multiple sweeps have come up clear, but they're not foolproof." Bronwyn sighed. "But it doesn't seem like it, especially since they're sending them there from here."

"So what do we do to stop him?" Eric asked, frustrated.

"Find the portal." Bronwyn replied simply. "Get to it; we've got our end guarded. When you're there, we can close it from both ends and seal it permanently that way. Your travelers have an energy detection grid on them, unfortunately the portals have about the same energy reading as a generator."

"So it's probably somewhere near a generator." Rachael reasoned. "Or where you'd think one would be."

"Right." Bronwyn nodded. "It'll be at least a 20 or higher on the scale, anything lower just ignore."

"Got it." Rachael agreed and cut the com link, turning to her family and teammate. "Split up?"

"Sure, I'll go with Wes." Laina nodded and looked to Wes who nodded, glancing at his watch.

"Let me call Courtney really fast and we'll go." He went for the phone as Rachael and Eric faced one another, a silent conversation passing between them before they excused themselves to begin looking.


	18. Chapter 18

Hand in hand they headed over to the district of town where most of the warehouses and the bare bones of the town were. The electric company had a huge generator in the area, as well as several other small ones. Not to mention the several factories in the area many of which were still functioning at their highest capacity. They broke physical contact so Rachael could focus on her traveler while Eric held his blaster at the ready, prepared to fight whatever came their way.

As much as he hated having her in any type of danger, Eric had to admit she was good at what she did. Rachael was reading that device expertly, picking out conflicting readings and ignoring the ones that were too high or not high enough to be what she was looking for. It took them over an hour to canvas the first block, moving to the second seconds before a loud explosion rocked them. Rachael lost her balance, falling against Eric for a moment before they sprinted for the source of the sound, and where her traveler was picking up the highest energy readings yet.

Laina and Wes go to it when they did, all four of them moving in, the three Time Force rangers fighting the cyclobots while Laina ducked into the building. When she emerged a few minutes later she was morphed, and battling with them. Despite being mechanical in nature, the cyclobots seemed to get enraged at their interference, and swarmed the closest ranger to the door, Eric. Wes, Laina, and Rachael tried to get them off of him, but by the time they managed to he was lying demorphed. Desperate to get to him, Rachael resisted and focused on destroying the cyclobots with all of her power, managing to dwindle it down to only a few before demorphing and running to her husband.

"Eric?" Panic clouded her mind as she tried to wake him, turning him on his back. The fear abated slightly when he coughed and groaned under her hands. "Stay still." She whispered and pulled out her cell phone, dialing the Silver Guardians as Wes and Laina decimated the last of the machines. She rode in the ambulance to the hospital, holding his hand as the EMTs checked him over, inserting an IV while he drifted in and out of consciousness. Wes stayed with Rachael when Laina went to talk with Bronwyn, going to find Courtney when Rachael was allowed in Eric's hospital room.

Karma. Rachael was annoyed at karma for existing, he'd had to deal with her in the hospital twice and here she was sitting next to him. His face was eerily pale, set in a frown from the pain. She tried to keep herself busy by arranging everything in the room, moving to wiping his forehead when it was determined he had a fever. As his wife she was allowed in the room whenever she wanted, unlike before when they were barely in a committed relationship and he'd had to leave a lot the first time she was hospitalized. The second their relationship was defined, but they weren't married and he'd been asked to leave in favor of her father, who had few, but more, rights. Now she had every legal right to determine what happened to him, and she worked that.

"Mrs. Myers?" The doctor interrupted her thoughts, moving to sit next to her. Rachael looked over him, wondering if he was older than she was or not. "Your husband has developed an infection from his injuries. His fever has been kept under control, and we've put him on a regimen of antibiotics and he's responding well. We've also set his broken arm and wrapped a few cracked ribs."

"When will he wake up?" Rachael asked, brow knit.

"When he's ready." The doctor checked a few of the monitors. "Has he been sleeping?"

"I'm not sure." Rachael frowned. Her own sleep had been marginal at best lately, but she'd been desperate to not wake him up, though it might have been a waste. "We've been under a lot of stress lately." She explained, wringing her hands.

"Then his body will take this time to sleep and rest."

"Good." Rachael nodded. "As long as he needs it, but he's going to be alright?"

"Yes." The doctor nodded confidently. "It may take him a while to fully recover, and you'll have to keep him home for at least a week once he leaves here, but after that he should be fine."

Rachael snorted with laughter, getting a strange look from the doctor, shaking her head to dismiss him before looking back to her husband. Keeping him home for a week was going to be a challenge. She'd have to either take a week off of her own job, or employ the help of someone he was afraid of to keep him home. Making a mental note to call his mother, Rachael stood and stretched, getting a washcloth cool again to mop his forehead. She didn't leave his side for hours, catching an hour of sleep at a time on the small chair that folded out in the corner. During one of those hours he woke, working through the confusion on his back, annoyed to find himself too weak to sit up. Turning his head to stretch, he saw her lying on her side, face covered by her long black hair, one arm skimming the floor.

"Rachael." He rasped, testing his voice. "Rachael." He repeated and she stirred, slowly opening her eyes. She looked at him for a minute before jumping up and moving to his side.

"Hey." She brushed back his hair with her hand. "Stay quiet, you'll be ok." She assured him. "Broken arm, cracked ribs and a bacterial infection." Rachael smiled. "And you said you had it bad when I was in here. Don't laugh." She bit her lip as he coughed instead, wincing. "Sorry." She whispered and pulled a chair next to his bed, quickly checking the time. 3:49 am.

"Is everything ok?" He managed to ask, getting shushed again.

"Laina and Jen got the hole closed; they've confiscated the device responsible." Rachael laughed internally for his need to know what was happening before he could relax. "They haven't got a responsible party, but they haven't finished the computer forensics on it yet."

"Tripp?" Eric asked, his eyes threatening to close.

"Yes." Rachael replied and leaned in, kissing his forehead. "Get some sleep." She murmured, keeping her lips close to his face.

"I don't want to." Eric murmured, using his uninjured hand to hold onto her arm. "I want to go home."

"I know." Rachael smiled. "If you promise to stay home for a week then I'll get you home in 24 hours."

"Deal."

"Really?" She eyed him, not believing him.

"Nothing better than spending a week in bed." Eric grinned. "Go quit your job."

Rachael laughed. "One of us has to bring home the bacon." She laughed and leaned over him to conceded defeat. "I'll e-mail them some homework."

"Good." Eric closed his eyes and fell back asleep in seconds, sleeping through the doctor returning and checking him over. He woke at what would have been the end of the exam and they tested his memory and coordination. It was almost nine that night before she got him into their bed, leaving him for only a few minutes to e-mail her few classes. When she came back he was asleep on his back, obvious that he'd tried to wait for her, but fell asleep. Happy to have him not only home but alive, Rachael crawled in next to him, curling herself under his arm.

He cooperated for a week, but the moment he was allowed back to work, he was back at the Silver Guardians, working a half day before Rachael finished her classes and picked him up. Laina went home to KO-35 the day after Eric came home from the hospital, and life continued as normal, no more attacks from the future. Wes grew anxious in direct correlation with Courtney's belly, being very protective of her, and their baby. Courtney herself was glowing with joy at her impending motherhood and dragged Rachael shopping every chance she could, especially once school ended and neither of them were in school anymore.

"Dear God." Rachael fell into the couch next to Eric one night after being dragged to dozens of different stores, each and every one dedicated to babies. "One more baby related shopping spree and I think I'm going to hurl." Eric laughed and put an arm around her, kissing her forehead.

"Then I won't tell you I told Wes I'd help him set up the crib tomorrow." He laughed at his wife's groan. "Want a drink?" He went to stand and she shook her head.

"Nah, my stomach's been funny, water would be nice." She grinned up at him and he nodded, getting a beer for himself and water for her before returning to where whatever stupid show was on TV was playing. "Thank you."

"You owe me."

"What would you like?" Rachael laughed, leaning on the arm of the couch, kicking her feet at him as he sat.

"You." He replied, took a swig of beer and leaned over her.

"You have me." Rachael laughed, wrinkling her nose, but kissing him just the same. "What do you want for dinner?"

"I bought pork chops." Eric murmured between kisses. "I'll barbeque them if you make other stuff." The conversation stayed one sided as he continued to kiss her, clouding her mind.

"What kind of stuff?" Rachael asked, grinning until he pushed her back too far. "Ow." She leaned forward and he backed off, frowning. "I'm fine, just sore." She rubbed her lower back and kissed him before standing. "Mashed potatoes sound ok?" She asked as she went for the freezer and peered in. "Peas or carrots?"

"Both." Eric pulled himself off the couch and grabbed the pork from where he'd left it on the counter, taking it outside and throwing it on the grill. Rachael came out and handed him his beer with a kiss, wrinkling her nose in that adorably weird manner that he liked so much. Then again the only thing he didn't like about her was her habit of muttering to herself in French. Which is why he bought a French to English dictionary and kept it at work, trying to learn some of it. He'd tried to keep it from Wes, but his brother-in-law found it and admitted that Courtney was trying to get him to learn it. The things men did for their wives. He brought the pork inside and on the two plates Rachael had set out. Everything together, they ate, then cleaned up their kitchen. Eric went out to make sure the grill was cool and safe, he came back and saw Rachael leaning against their counter, hand on her chest.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine." Rachael shook her head. "Heartburn." She frowned and shook her head. "I'll be ok." Concerned, Eric let her go, knowing if he made a big deal about it she'd bring up him not letting his arm fully heal before trying to use it. She felt better in the morning, and was fine when they got to Wes' that night.

Courtney and Rachael sat downstairs talking while Eric and Wes wrestled over the piece of furniture upstairs. "How've you been feeling?" Rachael leaned on her hand, watching Courtney make coffee, decaffeinated.

"Wonderful." Courtney smiled, lifting a shoulder and running her hand under her stomach, touching her baby. "I felt awful at the beginning there, but I feel great now."

"Awful?" Rachael looked at her in surprise.

"Oh yes." Courtney rolled her eyes as the coffee finished and she poured two mugs. Giving on to Rachael she sat across from her. "I was so tired all the time, ached all over, nauseous most mornings, heartburn when I ate food I love." Her smile faded when she saw Rachael's face. Her green eyes were wide, mouth dropped slightly open, frozen still in her chair. "Rachael, are you ok?"

"I hope so." She managed to speak, voice cutting out. "Oh God." Rachael stood up and grabbed her car keys. "Come on." She dragged Courtney into the hallway and shouted up the stairs. "We'll be back."

"Ok." One of the two men responded, but neither women heard as Rachael took the SUV to the drug store. Rachael marched right up to them, pulled them off their shelves and purchased them with confidence Courtney knew she couldn't ever have. Back at the house Rachael took one and marched into the bathroom, coming out with the test in her hand. Courtney sat and watched her sister-in-law pace.

"Rachael sit." She tried, but was ignored in favor of slower pacing. When the timer went off Rachael looked at it, sitting down in a chair, staring.

"Rachael?" Eric and Wes had come downstairs from assembling the crib in time to see her sit. Eric took a step for his wife, but she stood and looked up, alarming him with the tears swimming in her green eyes. "Rachael, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm pregnant."

Eric was frozen. He literally froze in his tracks when his wife said the word he was terrified to hear. And the word he'd secretly been hoping to hear. Pregnant. After she'd told him she wanted to wait, he shelved the idea of having a baby so soon, but hadn't ruled it out entirely. The realization that it was happening hit him so hard he couldn't move. Jolting back to reality he saw her watching him anxiously, the test grasped tightly in her hands. In two steps he walked over to her, picked her up and spun her around.

"What?" Rachael stared at him when he set her down. "You're happy?" Incredulously he watched her smile.

"I'm thrilled." Eric admitted, holding her close, completely ignoring the other two people in the room as he pressed his forehead to hers. "You said you didn't want them yet, so I agreed." He murmured.

"You should have told me." A weak smile formed on Rachael's face. "I'm pregnant." She repeated and laughed. "We're going to be parents."

"Congratulations." Wes said softly, trying to call them into the room. Eric loosened his grip on Rachael, letting her brother give her a big hug. Courtney took her next as Wes shook Eric's hand, clapping his shoulder in a manly type hug. "Take care of them." He said. "That's my little sister."

"Don't worry." For once Eric didn't mind Wes being overly protective of Rachael.

"You know what this means?" Wes asked as the women turned to look at him. "We have to assemble another crib." Rachael laughed nervously with them, but stayed fairly tense the rest of the night, even when Eric pulled her to bed.

"Relax." He murmured, pulling her temple to his lips.

"I can't." Rachael admitted. "I'm terrified. I don't know if I'm going to be a good parent, I don't know how to be a parent." Her voice rose as she panicked. "I'm carrying a child, how long have I been pregnant? I didn't know, when was the last time I had a drink? The last time I morphed? Was in a fight?" She sat up and leaned against the backboard, borderline hyperventilating.

"Whoa, calm down." Eric sat up and touched her arm and cupped her face in his hands. "We have months to figure this out. You'll be a wonderful mother; Mrs. Bailey would jump at the chance to help us," Her breathing steadied as he spoke, "You don't drink much normally, and even less lately since you weren't feeling good, the last time I saw you morphed was April, which was four months ago, you couldn't possibly be that far along." He put his hand on her stomach. "You need to relax, call your doctor in the morning."

"You're being rational." Rachael commented, putting her hand over his. "I'm being irrational, the world is wrong." She breathed, trying to laugh, but barely managed to.

"I'll go with you." Eric leaned against the board next to her, nuzzling her ear. "To the appointment." He clarified as she started to slide back on the bed. She made a noise that sounded sort of like she understood, but was more interested in what he was doing to her neck.

She got an appointment the next afternoon, waiting nervously with Eric at her side. She was nervous about what the doctor was going to tell her, he was awkwardly trying to avoid the looks from the various women in the waiting room staring him down. The appointment itself went fairly routine as far as either of them could tell, but the pre-scheduled ultrasound proved to be the most surprising.

"Alright, you say you're not sure when you conceived?" Rachael's doctor asked, getting a shake of her patient's head in response. "Ok, then we're going to look." The woman inspected the image on the screen, getting so immersed in it that she stopped responding to the couple. Finally, she spoke. "As far as I can tell, your baby is around twenty-two weeks along." She sounded amazed.

From listening to Courtney talk about her baby, Rachael knew that wasn't normal. "Wait, isn't full term forty?"

"Yes, you're halfway through your pregnancy already. I'd put your due date around mid-December." The doctor smiled at her, seeing only fear. "Relax, you're a healthy woman, you don't smoke, you drink on occasion but never to excess." She smiled and started taking stills of the baby. "You'll be fine, now," she pointed to a long moon shaped curve on the screen, "this is your baby's head." The doctor spent the next half hour pointing out the various limbs of the baby, getting it to move with a little prodding. With a prescription for prenatal vitamins and pictures of their baby they left the office hand in hand, Rachael stunning Eric by pinning him against his car.

"What's into you?" He asked with surprise as she started to kiss him. She didn't answer at first, content to assault his mouth rather than respond, and he didn't mind.

"I love you." Rachael finally said, looking up with sparking green eyes. "And Courtney is taking me shopping."

"That's it." Eric chuckled. "Don't break my bank account." He requested to a laugh from his wife.

"I'll try not to." She smiled. "We're getting paint."

"Oh God." Eric groaned.

"The spare room is going to be the nursery, get used to it." Rachael laughed. "We now officially have to clean out those boxes." She poked his chest, getting a kiss for her cheekiness. She waved to him as he drove his SUV back to work, and took her Mustang to pick up Courtney and then head to the Home Improvement store.

And Courtney, for one, was thrilled to have a partner in her baby obsession. Sure Rachael wasn't nearly as into it as she was, and sure she had to drag her sister-in-law to most of the shopping, but once they started picking out baby clothes and toys, Rachael got into it. But she kept her buying to a minimum, having not found out what gender her baby was, but that time was getting closer as her stomach expanded. Courtney and Wes had discovered they were expecting a boy in August, and now she had their room completely decorated in shades of red, complete with power ranger themed sheets that just made her husband laugh. Just a few days from her due date in October she was standing in the nursery, making sure everything was in place, and she had everything on the lists she'd complied with help from the dozens of books she'd read about expecting a baby. Rachael sat in the rocking chair, one hand on her own baby bump, watching her sister-in-law pace.

"You might want to sit." She offered, getting a glare.

"I can't sit, I'm restless." Agitated, she continued to wear a path in the floor. "I want him out." She almost whined.

"I can imagine." Rachael sounded amused. "Sure I'm two months behind you, but I can imagine." She stood up and practically pushed her into the rocker. "Calm down, he'll come when he's ready." Courtney sighed, leaning back into the plush cushions. She reached her hand out and touched Rachael's belly.

"Do you know what you're having?" She asked quietly, trying to distract herself. Rachael checked her watch, and tilted her head.

"In about an hour or so." She grinned and squatted in front of her sister-in-law. "And you are going to sit here until Wes comes home."

"How will you know?" Courtney challenged her, a light of playfulness in her violet eyes.

"Because Eric is picking me up here." Rachael wrinkled her nose and sat on the floor. "God I'm not going to be able to get up from here." She laughed and put both of her hands on her stomach. "Now. What are your name choices?"

"Wes says I can pick but he has veto power and my mother wants 'Schuyler'."

"Schuyler?" Rachael lifted her brows. "Like Sky?"

"Precisely." Courtney sighed. "Unfortunately she's trying to guilt me into it because it was her father's name. I don't see why, she didn't even like her father."

"I'm sorry." Rachael laughed, trying to be sympathetic. "I don't even know what Eric's father's name was." She said thoughtfully. "I should do that."

"It's probably not Schuyler." Courtney wrinkled her nose and then made a face. "Can I tell you a secret? I almost died when Wes suggested William." She covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head. "He was a guy my mother tried to pair me up with when I was a teenager, seventeen or so."

"That would be awkward." Rachael agreed. "I don't think I want to list the names it would be awkward for me and Eric." She winced and Courtney frowned sympathetically. "I had a streak of promiscuity."

"Does he know that?"

"Do you know how Eric and I met?" Rachael seemed to change the subject, but Courtney knew it would come around.

"Wes never told me."

Rachael moved and leaned against the wall. "I'd just gotten in town from Boston, before I started to help the rangers, and I needed a drink before I could face my father and live with him." She started, Courtney listening intently as a smile grew on Rachael's face. "I was watching a hockey game, one of the players made a stupid move and I yelled at him. The bar was mostly empty except for a few people; one of them was Eric, at the other end. I apologized for my outburst and sat next to him as we started debating hockey." She laughed, absently rubbing circles over her baby. "Basically, I went home with him, and we've been together ever since."

"Just like that?" Courtney tilted her head in surprise.

"Just like that." Rachael laughed. "I moved my things in after three nights. Three nights." She leaned her head on the wall behind her. "I'd never really been in love like that before, it was so instant, so intense, it was terrifying."

"You made it." Courtney was relaxing talking to Rachael, it was hard to be too stressed out when you talked to her even when she wasn't itching to get her baby out. "And you're going to be parents."

"He didn't tell me he wanted a baby." Rachael frowned. "He just accepted that I wanted to wait."

"Eric's a good guy." Courtney tried to figure out the look on her friend's face.

"I know I am."

Rachael looked up as her husband came through the door and smiled. "You have impeccable timing my love." She grinned reaching up when he held out his hands to help her to her feet.

"I work at it."

"Courtney?" Wes sounded confused downstairs.

"Up here." Courtney yelled back. "Your sister has taken me hostage."

"Cool." Wes came in and took off his hat, kissing her hello.

"You're welcome." Rachael grinned at her brother. "We're going to go then. See you soon. He'll be ready on his own time." She reminded her as Eric led her down the stairs and to her appointment. Rachael's doctor started the ultrasound as usual, pausing before she looked at the couple.

"Do you want to know the gender?" Laughing when Rachael murmured fervently and her husband just smiled.

"I don't." He said, and Rachael turned to him in surprise.

"You never said…"

"I hadn't decided." He explained. "If you want to know, you should, but don't tell me. I don't want to ruin the surprise." He kissed her forehead. "I'll be right outside." And without another word he slipped from the room.

"Would you like to proceed?" The doctor asked curiously.

"I'm not sure." Rachael answered, her face screwed up into a frown. "He confused me."

"Husbands are good at that." The doctor laughed and got out the gel and started to spread it on her belly. "Here's the head." She pointed out. "What an active child." She laughed and tried to get a better look at the squirming child, making noises of frustration as the baby managed to writhe away from her attempts.

"I think," Rachael laughed, "I think my baby made the decision for me. Could you please get my husband?"

"Sure." The doctor nodded and brought Eric back in.

"Do you know?"

"No." Rachael smiled and touched his cheek. "Kid's not cooperating. But if you don't want to know, I can wait too."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Rachael nodded confidently. "It's a surprise right?" She took his hand and nodded to the doctor who tried again to get good pictures on the still active baby.

"I can't believe this, are they always this active?" She asked in just utter disbelief.

"Not really." Rachael shook her head. "Sometimes though, this is about as bad as it gets. Usually happens about this time too, afternoon, evening." She explained. "But then we just settled down for bed."

"Well the measurements I've got look fairly good." The doctor frowned and looked over what she'd written. "I'll need you back in two weeks for another try at this, how about early morning when they're a little quieter?" The appointment was made and more sonogram photos were printed. Rachael insisted they go to Rosa's where the waitress gushed over her belly, having watched their relationship from the beginning.

"Are you seriously going to eat all that?" Eric looked at the huge bacon cheeseburger and pile of gravy covered fries his wife was served.

"Heck yes." Rachael picked up a fry and unceremoniously popped it in her mouth. "They say craving rare meat means it's a boy." She said after a minute. "Old wives tales."

"Do you want a boy?" Eric asked, picking at his own fries.

"Yes." Rachael answered instantly. "I've been surrounded by men my entire life, I'm not sure I would know what to do if we have a girl."

"Ironically I've got the opposite issue." Eric commented, knitting his brow. "My mother and Grace practically raised me, too many women." Rachael laughed and bit into her burger, a look of ecstasy on her face.

"Why did you want a baby?" She asked after a while, between bites of her outrageous burger.

"Besides the fact that I love you?" Eric teased quickly, but shrugged. "When I was a kid my mom was a temporary foster home, we took in babies for a few days or weeks at a time. I knew how to take care of a baby by the time I was five. She stopped when my Dad died, I was thirteen. I always wanted my own." He didn't look at her as he told her the details, looking up at the end.

"You never told me." She murmured, eating another fry. He reached across the table and took her free hand in his.

"I'm not big on telling things." He tried, knowing he'd made the wrong move when she scowled.

"But I'm your wife." She squeezed his hand. "You can tell me these things."

"I know." Eric squeezed back and released so she could get back to her burger. After watching her maul it for a few minutes he tried to distract her. "Got any name ideas?"

"What was your Dad's name?" Rachael asked suddenly.

"Uh, Jake." Eric frowned. "Jacob Myers."

"Hm." Rachael thought. "I like it."

"You'd name our son after my father?" Eric watched Rachael carefully as she shrugged, eating more of her fries, dipping them in the gravy and side of cheese.

"If you want to." She shrugged. "I'd rather not name him after mine, Alan isn't exactly a favorite name of mine. The man named my brother 'Wesley'. Do not tell him I said that."

Eric laughed, "What about…" He thought for a moment, but Rachael interrupted.

"Joshua?"

"That's my middle name." Eric was scowling now as Rachael laughed. "No, what about girl names?" He tried to distract her.

"Elizabeth."

"We are not naming our daughter after my mother." Eric leaned back in the booth, watching his wife laugh. "Irene, Vivien."

"Not a first name I think." Rachael sighed, her laughter abating. They sat in quiet for a few minutes before she sighed. "We need a name book."

"We do." Eric finished off his fries and snaked a gravy covered one from her plate, dodging her hand as she tried to slap him. "I didn't think naming the kid would be this hard."

"I'm not sure we should refer to our baby as 'kid'." Rachael frowned. They'd both done it several times already.

"Our options are limited." Eric pointed out as she took a large bite of her burger. "Are you sure you didn't want to know?" It was hard to watch her finish off the burger with delight, the greasy thing was disgusting.

"I'm sure." She nodded. "I never thought about not knowing before, and I like the idea of it." Rachael took the last few fries from her plate, leaving it clean. "It means something to you." She wiped her mouth. "I'm on board."

"Thanks." Eric grinned and put cash on the table before standing up and taking her hand. Back home Rachael leaned on Eric's chest as they watched a hockey game until later than they were usually awake.


	19. Chapter 19

Courtney was restlessly lying in bed with Wes as he read a book. The book was actually one of the ones she'd given him about expecting and he was studying it for the second time. He had one hand on her hip as she lay with her back to him, facing the darker side of their room. If she wasn't so restless and annoyed she'd find the gesture sweet. Except she was restless, and wanted nothing to do with the man that had put her there. Her back was aching and spasms of pain were starting to hit her lower abdomen. More spasms. Courtney's eyes flew open to a dark room as spasms hit faster. Watching the clock for a few minutes she realized they were actually at intervals.

"Wes." She tried to roll over, but didn't feel like she could, so her legs went off the edge of their bed. "Wes!" This time she shouted it and he jolted up.

"What is it? What's wrong? Are you ok? Is the baby ok?" The questions came out in rapid succession as he pulled out of sleep.

"The baby's coming." Courtney said the words reverently, wincing when another contraction hit. "Now, Wes."

"Ok." He kissed her temple quickly before getting out of their bed and dressing as if he was competing for a world record. He grabbed her bags and ran them down to the car, coming back to help her into shoes and down the stairs. In the car he opened his cell phone and called the first person they'd agreed to call. "Rachael, the baby's coming. Yeah, thanks. I love you too. Bye." He hung up as they got onto the road, making it to the hospital in record time.

Once there, they got to a room and settled in for the long night and morning. Rachael got to the hospital with Eric a half hour afterward, trying to convince Courtney to call her mother. None of them succeeded as she was determined to do this without the woman who'd tried to control her life from the moment she was born. Eric eventually went to the Silver Guardian headquarters, leaving his wife who held Courtney's other hand as she worked through the contractions. Around ten in the morning she started pushing, and at ten thirty eight, October twenty-third, their squalling baby boy was born.

The doctors placed him on his mother's chest as they dried him off, screaming as loud as his little lungs could manage. Tears filled Wes' eyes as he looked as his son, then to his wife, the mother of that son. The people he loved most in the world were there, even his sister who was ducking out of the room to give them a moment together, and to call her husband. Eric came after work to visit, finding Rachael and her father sitting outside the room while Courtney's family visited.

"How is he?" He kissed her temple as she leaned against him.

"Adorable." Rachael grinned. "He's got Courtney's eyes."

"Poor kid." He got a hit to the arm for the comment, "What? He's going to be picked on for having purple eyes, kids are cruel."

"Doesn't mean you have to say it." Rachael retorted. "If he gets teased I'm telling him you cursed him." Before Eric could respond, Wes stuck his head out of the door and beckoned his part of the family in.

"We've only got a few minutes for all of us together." He looked for the nurses as he ushered them in. Courtney looked exhausted in the bed where she was again holding her baby boy. "We wanted to tell you his name all together." Wes said to the seven other people in the room.

"We've decided," Courtney took over, "on Christopher Schuyler Collins." She looked up at her mother who made a face that looked as though she couldn't decide if she was happy about the name, or still upset her daughter hadn't told her she was in labor until after the baby was born. She chose the royal option, hiding her emotions while Courtney's identical twin sisters mooned over their nephew, especially when he opened his eyes and yawned. Eric stood with Rachael, grinning at the tiny little person Wes and Courtney had created, content to just observe. "Eric, hold your nephew." Courtney beckoned him over, and over a short battle of wills, he gave in to the new mother.

"He's precious." He complimented as the baby was placed in his arms. Most were surprised to see him hold the child expertly; even Wes was avoiding holding his son from lack of experience and at this point, for fear of hurting him.

It took hours and plenty of encouragement before Courtney could get Wes to hold his son, and with time, and practice, he got the hang of it. Eventually it took Courtney eternity to get him to put the baby down and go back to work. He couldn't help it. Wes sat in the rocker in the corner of the nursery, his son in his arms, sleeping calmly and peacefully in his arms while his mother got some much needed sleep in the next room.

"Hey little man." Wes smiled as his son squirmed in his arms and opened his eyes, blinking a bit before yawning. Everything the baby did was adorable and made his heart just swell. "You're the most amazing thing I've ever done." Wes murmured as he put his finger in Chris' tiny hand. He logically knew it was a reflex that caused the tiny fingers to wrap around his one finger, but it made him happy just the same. "You better not be a ranger." He laughed. "I don't think your mother and I could handle that." Wes started rocking in the chair. "I'll let you be a Silver Guardian if you work a desk shift, I don't want you in danger." He watched the baby curl himself into a little ball in the blanket. At only a few weeks old, Christopher had been a fairly good natured and happy baby but wasn't a fan of the whole 'sleeping' concept unless he was in the arms of one of his parents.

"He sleeping?" Courtney appeared in the doorway in a pair of sweats and a long sleeved t-shirt, rubbing her eyes.

"He's fine, you should be sleeping." Wes frowned as she came over and leaned on the rocker to look at their baby.

"I did." She sighed. "You go sleep; you've got work in the morning." She murmured, but he stood and placed Chris in his crib, lying still for now. Instead of leaving, Wes grabbed Courtney's waist and pulled her against him.

"Hey." He grinned when she laughed. "I miss you." He kissed her forehead gently. Courtney slid her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I miss you." She admitted softly. "We've been distracted for a few weeks."

"Not sleeping at all will do that to you." Wes murmured, rubbing his hand up and down her back as they rocked a little. "We need to hire a baby sitter." He decided and looked at his wife. "Give Chris to Rachael and Eric for a night." He touched her chin, pulling it up to face him.

"Ok." Courtney agreed and tried to stifle a yawn. She pulled away and leaned over the crib, impressed to see Chris lying peacefully. "He might sleep." Laying a blanket over his waist, she pulled Wes from the room and the few steps to their bedroom where she collapsed in his arms, both losing consciousness until their son realized he was alone two hours later. Groggy, she brought him to their bed and held him while she dozed next to Wes. That next night Rachael picked up Chris and took him to her and Eric's house for the night, and although Courtney wasn't happy to be apart from her baby, the hours of uninterrupted sleep next to her husband made up for it, not to mention the minor fooling around after at least a couple hours.

Rachael however, was not having a good night. Christopher was screaming like nothing she'd ever heard, and she had no idea what to do with him. Everything she'd ever read about babies wasn't working, she didn't know what she was doing wrong, and she was freaking out.

"Rachael." Eric was grinning as he took the baby from her, wrapped him up in a tight blanket and laid the baby on his chest. Miraculously the baby quieted and rested against him.

"Are you kidding?" Frazzled, Rachael sat on the couch and frowned at her husband for expertly caring for the baby. She wrapped her arms around her own baby still wrapped tightly in her stomach, only two weeks from her own due date.

"It's nothing personal." Eric tried to soothe her. "He likes to be wrapped up tight; it reminds him being inside Courtney."

"Really?" Rachael looked at him suspiciously.

"Really." Eric shifted Chris to Rachael, who held him carefully, relaxing when he didn't scream in protest as soon as he was in her arms. "See? He was uncomfortable."

"Sorry buddy." Rachael gently touched the baby's face. Eric kissed her forehead and went for the kitchen to make a bottle for his nephew, every now and again looking back at his wife giving her full attention to the child in her arms. "I'm not sure I'm going to be able to function with my own." Rachael frowned when he came in.

"You're going to have to." Eric's brows knit together. "We're kind of past the 'maybe' stage." He reached over and rested his hand on his own baby.

"You can take care of her." Rachael looked scared when Eric shook his head.

"I have a full time job."

"I have two part time jobs."

"Both of which you can work around." He frowned. "It's different when it's your baby. My mother always said that when it's your child you have a better connection with them, you know what she needs and when she needs it."

"Why are you calling our baby 'she'?" Rachael completely avoided his explanation in favor of something else.

"You said it first." Eric scowled at her.

"Did not." She defended herself, holding the baby in her arms tighter. Not wanting to fight with her, Eric sat silently next to her, hand still resting on her belly. "Did I?" She asked after a moment.

"I plead the fifth." Eric groaned and stood up to kiss her, kissing her quickly, but hard before leaving the bottle near her and going back to the kitchen to start dinner for her.

"Sorry." Her voice was soft and scared behind him. He turned to see her eyes brimming with tears, nearly breaking his heart.

"Rachael…" He took a step for her, but she stood and brushed past him into the spare room, that was now their nursery. Rachael had painted it a bright green, and the room was decorated in shades of green, blue, and dark wood browns, and as he followed her into it, he could see how it was gender neutral for the baby he'd wanted a surprise. She put Chris in the bed intended for his own cousin and turned to him, the tears breaking away and slipping down her face. Eric wrapped his arms around his wife, and let her cry against him. "You're going to be a good mother." He murmured.

"I'm sorry I'm being hormonal." Rachael muttered through her tears. "I can't help it."

"I know." Eric said softly and took one of his arms from his wife's back and moved to her large belly where his baby lay. "You won't be alone, I'll help you, you'll get it."

"I'd better." Rachael tried to laugh and pulled back. "It's December first, I've got two weeks left." A weak smile on her face, she tried to smile, but pure terror was more obvious.

"You're a quick learner." Eric murmured as he held onto the two most important things in his life. "And if all else fails my mother can come up from Florida." He grinned as she laughed weakly. It wasn't that she and Leta didn't have a good relationship, it was more of the fact Leta said things that scared Rachael to death, such as them having a baby before they'd been married a year. Which had happened. The second reason he was so happy was that his mother was alive and completely cancer free, living her life to the fullest in Florida.

"I love your mother, and I'm thrilled she's going to be here for the week the baby comes, but I cannot live with her." Rachael informed him, emphasizing her point by poking her finger into his chest. "A week I can manage, especially if she's helping with the baby, but no more.

Three weeks later Rachael was a week past her due date and the most uncomfortable she'd ever been in her life. And she'd been uncomfortable for the entire week past her due date. The entire week her mother-in-law was in town waiting for the birth of her fifth grandchild. But Rachael didn't really care that she'd been there for a week and hadn't done anything, she was more concerned with the fact she couldn't relax, couldn't calm down, and couldn't find any way to make herself even a little bit comfortable. She couldn't even feel truly bad she was completely ignoring Eric and snapping at him when he tried to help her.

Ok, she felt a little bad, but the man was the reason she was so uncomfortable. And he was sleeping in their bed while she was standing in their kitchen, leaning her forehead on the counter as she tried to drink a glass of water. Her idiot of a doctor and decided he wouldn't induce her until after Christmas if the baby didn't come before then. Christmas was four days from now, and she damn well wanted to be home with her husband and her baby in her arms. Moaning in annoyance and pain, she leaned up and started pacing the floor, annoyed at everything and everyone. She ached all over, and had for days. Leaning with her back against the counter this time, she sipped her glass of water, but barely had it down her throat before she had to lean over the sink as it came back up.

Great, now her esophagus felt as bad as the rest of her. Running her hands on the side of her belly and down under, she tried to hold up the bundle in her belly but felt everything shift. She sucked in her breath as the strangest feeling overcame her. "Eric!" She screamed her husband's name as the fluid poured down her legs.

"What?" He ran in to her, eyes bleary with sleep, waking instantly as he saw the situation his wife was in.

"Get the old towels." She requested as she slid to the floor, squatting against the cabinet. "Clean this up before we go."

"Rachael…" Eric looked conflicted.

"It'll take a minute Eric, it'll make the house smell, there's blood in there." She winced in pain as the contractions started to hit. Another came just as fast, and another, by the time Eric got back into the kitchen she was past the point of pain. He came over to her and set a towel down and then looked.

"Lay down." He ordered in the voice he normally used for the Silver Guardians. "There isn't time to get to the hospital." His voice lost confidence as he spoke. Rachael obeyed silently as Eric grabbed the phone and dialed Wes to bring an ambulance to their house and hung up before his brother-in-law could ask what was wrong.

Rachael breathed like she'd learned how and soon overwhelming feelings of instinct just took over. "Eric I have to push." She breathed again and started before he was ready.

His wife was having their baby on their kitchen floor. The kitchen that he'd cleaned once in his life, the day she moved in, the day they became a couple, and here she was lying on a pile of towels. "Push Sweetheart." He said the words softly, and she didn't need to hear it twice. One strong push and the baby slipped from inside its mother and into its father's arms. Numb, Eric cleaned the baby off, hearing the sirens outside mix with the baby's screaming.

"Eric?" Rachael breathed his name, leaning up on her elbows.

"Lay back." He said and wrapped the baby up in a towel, setting it in her arms as it started to calm from the shocking cold of air. Fighting tears, he touched the black fuzz of hair on the baby's head. "It's a girl. We have a daughter."

"I love you." Rachael looked up at him as Wes burst into the kitchen, paramedics following closely.

"I love you too." Eric covered her legs with a towel before backing up to the paramedics could check her and the baby over as he tried to come to terms with exactly how his baby girl decided to enter the world. Wes had no idea what to say to him as they stood in the kitchen, watching the paramedics get Rachael onto a stretcher, the baby again safely in her arms.

Hours later he held his daughter again as his wife dozed on the hospital bed. She was finally able to get comfortable, and after the trauma of having her baby on the kitchen floor, she needed the sleep. The doctor that met them in the emergency room spoke with Rachael and told her the aching and pain she'd been feeling over the last few days had actually been the start of her labor, and she'd given birth minutes after her water broke. But the news was good, their daughter was full term and very healthy at just over nine pounds, and was able to stay with her also healthy mother in her room. So now in the late morning hours Eric was content to hold his daughter, his very own child, while Rachael slept, thinking about the one thing they hadn't done in preparation for their baby.

"She needs a name." Rachael mumbled, eyes still closed, but shifting her position in the bed.

"Do you have any ideas?" Eric asked as he looked at the baby, pulling the blanket back to look at her sleeping face under the knit pink hat.

"No." Rachael admitted and opened her eyes sleepily. "I decided we were having a boy and I was going to name him Jacob whether you liked it or not."

Eric laughed at her admission and looked at his daughter. "I thought of a couple." He looked up. "But now that she's here I don't like them."

"They don't suit her." Rachael nodded as if she understood. "She's beautiful." She murmured, eyes on her baby. "I do like Elizabeth though. Maybe for her middle name."

"Ok." Eric nodded. "But she needs a first one." As if she was annoyed at her lack of name, the baby started to make unhappy noises in her father's arms, squirming and starting to cry. "Alright sweetheart." Eric laid her on the bed as Rachael moved her feet, and watched him unwrap her from the blanket she was wrapped in and examine the diaper. Rachael watched in awe as he systematically removed the dirty one and replaced it with a clean one, wrapping her up tight in the blanket. "Here." He held the baby for her mother to take, which she did awkwardly.

"I'm not as good at this as you." Rachael tried to suppress the tears from springing to her eyes.

"You'll learn." Eric kissed her forehead and went for the bag in the corner, pulling out the baby name book Rachael had purchased a month ago and started reading off names he considered, rejecting them as Rachael did. They got halfway through the alphabet before they'd gotten anywhere. "Lauren."

"Lauren." Rachael repeated. "Lauren Elizabeth Myers. I like it."

"It means 'laurel'." Eric read. "That doesn't matter, does it?"

"It means 'stubbornly came when she wanted to'." Rachael wrinkled her nose and looked down at the baby. "Lauren." Eric moved over and leaned over his wife's shoulder and looked at his daughter.

"Lauren." Eric whispered. "I'll go get the birth certificate." He kissed Rachael's temple before leaving her alone with the baby for the first time.

"Hey Lauren." Rachael murmured, resting the baby against her. "Your Daddy and I love you more than anything in this world. Except maybe each other, but you're right there too." She laughed but just smiled. Despite her annoyance at the man over the last few weeks she was more in love with Eric than ever. And that was pretty exciting.

When he went back into Rachael's room with the paperwork in hand, Eric stopped in the doorway. His wife was looking at him with a look he hadn't seen in months. Since she found out she was pregnant. He grinned awkwardly, unsure what she was thinking. "Hey." He tried, feeling exactly as he had that first night he'd met her at O'Reilly's bar, awkward.

"Hey." She grinned. "Come here." She used one hand to hold their daughter and the other to beckon him closer. Obeying her, Eric moved closer, curious as hell as to what was going through her mind. As soon as he was close enough she grabbed his shirt and pulled his face down to hers, kissing him with an intensity they hadn't gotten to in a long time. "I miss you." She murmured once he pulled back.

"It's too soon." He chided her with a grin as he matched her playful mood. "But I'm glad to see you're feeling better." He kissed her again, not as deep as before, but just as emotive.

"Wow." A voice came from behind them. "You didn't kiss me like that."

"You were fighting me off." Wes frowned at his wife who shook her head and moved in, going to her sister-in-law's side while Wes put the carrier with his son in it on a chair. "Congratulations." He shook Eric's hand, able to speak now that his sister was safe and healthy.

"Thanks." Eric beamed, eyes glued to the two women he loved. Courtney was now holding Lauren gently as Rachael watched, gushing over how adorable she was.

"She have a name?" Wes asked and Eric nodded.

"Lauren." Rachael replied from her bed, grinning at her brother and then sister-in-law. "Lauren Elizabeth Myers."

"Beautiful name." Courtney smiled. "Chris and Lauren, they'll be quite a pair."

"I just hope they don't take after me and Wes." Rachael laughed as her brother frowned. "Be honest you agree with me there."

"I do." Wes wrinkled his nose and kissed her forehead. "But you don't have to say it."

"Sure." Rachael laughed and hugged him tightly. "We've got kids bro." Her voice sobered into awe as she looked at Courtney and her daughter.

"We do." Wes agreed, glancing to where his son was sleeping in his carrier, oblivious to the fact he now had a cousin. "Did you call Dad?"

"He's bringing Leta after lunch." Rachael replied with a sigh. "I'm glad you're here first." She hugged him tightly.

"Yeah well the Silver Guardians are getting used to being leaderless." Wes laughed, getting Eric to grin at the truthfulness of his statement. With both men having pregnant wives they'd each had to take time off work for appointments, the actual births, and bringing their babies home. Wes had his turn, and now Eric had taken the week off to make sure Rachael didn't go insane at home with their baby.

"At least we'll be home by Christmas." Rachael sighed contentedly. "All I wanted for Christmas was my baby." She accepted Lauren back from Courtney and savored the quiet baby. It was a whirlwind few days as she learned exactly how to care for her infant before they took her home, just in time for Christmas.

It was five in the morning on Christmas when Eric woke with a start, jolted out of sleep by the absence of warmth next to him. Feeling around the bed in the dark he couldn't find his wife, so he got up and stumbled for the nursery across the hallway, not finding his daughter either. Still too sleepy to be confused, he went for the living room where their Christmas tree was lit up, finding the two of them curled up on the couch.

"She was hungry." Rachael explained with a small smile. "And it's Christmas, I couldn't get back to sleep." Eric smiled and sat next to her, pulling her so that she rested against his chest and kissed her forehead.

"Merry Christmas." He murmured as she turned her head to meet his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." Rachael smiled and kissed him properly. "Merry Christmas." She turned her head to their peacefully sleeping baby. "Merry Christmas sweetheart." Eric touched their daughter's cheek gently.

"Her first Christmas." He murmured. "Did we get her something?"

"Life." Rachael laughed. "And everything in that nursery. But I got you something." She grinned and nodded toward the tree. Eric looked to where he'd put her present the night before and didn't see anything, until he looked up and saw a card tucked into the tree. "Go get it." She urged and leaned forward for the few seconds it took him to get the card and her present and tuck her back into her arms. Eric ripped open the envelope, but something fell out of it before he could open the card.

"You're kidding." He started at the two pieces of paper in his hand as Rachael grinned at him. "Two tickets to a Penguin/Bruin game." He kissed her temple. "You're the best wife ever."

"I know." Rachael tipped her head back. "Did you see where it is?"

"Boston." Eric laughed as he read the ticket. "How…"

"Time Force gave me a bonus back when we had that little issue." Rachael explained with a grin. "I used it to arrange this little vacation for February, before we knew about Lauren." She looked at the baby in her arms. "I'll just leave her with Courtney for a few days and we can go away."

"Perfect." Eric kissed her. "Now." He shifted to take Lauren from her so she could open her present. Eyeing him suspiciously, Rachael slowly opened the box and pulled out the leather bound book. Curious she opened the cover and gasped. Flipping through the pages tears started to fall as she looked at dozens of pictures of her parents, Wes and herself growing up. Toward the end were pictures of the two of them, their wedding, Wes and Courtney's wedding, ending with a few pictures of Chris, and a full page of Lauren's first pictures.

"How did you manage this?" Rachael wiped her eyes as she looked at it.

"Wes helped." Eric smiled. "The pictures of Lauren were Courtney's doing, I don't know how she got them so fast, but I'm not going to question her abilities."

"I love it." She leaned forward and kissed him, but he grinned when she pulled back.

"Look in the box." He requested. Rachael looked under the photo album and picked up the small velvet box, looking up at him before opening it. "It's customary." He shrugged as she looked back to it and opened it. Inside rested a silver necklace with a teardrop shaped diamond pendant.

"Oh." Rachael breathed and took it out, examining it against the dim light of their Christmas tree.

"My father got my mother a necklace like that when she had Grace." Eric explained. "He added a pendant ten years later when I was born."

"It's beautiful." Rachael clasped it around her neck and touched it where it lay on her sternum. "Ok maybe I do like jewelry." She laughed and leaned forward to kiss him thanks. "I like this gift the best." She touched the baby between them, resting her hand on Lauren's chest.

"Thank you." Eric kissed her forehead.

"The one thing I can do at this point." Rachael frowned. "I'm better, but I'm still not comfortable with her yet."

"You'll get there." Eric kissed her again.

She got there. In a few weeks she felt like a pro. A very tired pro that was eternally grateful for the invention of maternity leave for both of her jobs. Lauren grew daily, opened her eyes longer and was starting to make noises, happy noises, but nothing compared to her first smile. Rachael cried and called Eric who sounded very jealous he was at work, but got a smile the moment he picked her up that night. It was obvious she was a Daddy's girl from the start, always smiling for him, waving her little limbs to get his attention. Rachael didn't mind. Lauren would be so preoccupied with her father it gave her mother a chance to get some sleep or shower, whichever was more pressing at that time.


	20. Chapter 20

By March they had settled into a rhythm, Rachael had gone back to work, leaving Lauren with Mrs. Bailey for the few classes she had to teach, and there were other Lieutenants to work with Time Force so she would help out with research and paperwork once every few weeks and let them focus on fighting. Courtney was again in her college classes, and acing everything with a finesse Rachael couldn't comprehend while she cared for now five month old Chris. On a rare quiet day for Rachael, Courtney brought him over and sat him on the floor with Lauren, the two babies trying to figure out what the other was.

"Remember a year ago?" Courtney asked suddenly.

"How we weren't parents?" Rachael tried to make light of the situation, hoping Courtney wasn't about to tell her something negative. To her relief, Courtney laughed.

"True, but it was a year ago I came here and told you I thought I was pregnant." She smiled as she recalled the memory. "You made me take the test and I was terrified."

"Imagine how I felt that July." Rachael shook her head. "I was terrified from then until probably a few weeks ago."

"You're doing well." Courtney encouraged her with a smile. They were quiet for a moment, watching the cousins on the floor with the brightly colored toys laid around them. Then Courtney said the last thing Rachael expected. "I think I'm pregnant again."

"What?" Rachael's mouth dropped when Courtney half heartedly shrugged one shoulder.

"I'm late. Really late." Courtney sighed and looked at her son. "Do you?" She leaned her head back from where she sat on the floor to look at Rachael, but she was already going to their bathroom emerging with a test.

"It's still good." She nodded and handed it to Courtney. "Good luck."

Rachael went back to the two babies and watched them as Courtney took the second test and prayed it was negative. It was good for the kids to grow up close, but Courtney was still in school and having a second child was the last thing she needed. Concerned when it took her a long time in there, Rachael nervously watched the babies, Chris starting to realize his mother wasn't there as she emerged from the bathroom empty handed.

"It's ok buddy." Courtney sat next to him on the floor and gave him a toy to placate him. She sat quietly next to Rachael on the floor and sighed. "It was positive."

"I'm sorry." Rachael frowned but Courtney lifted her shoulder and shook her head.

"I'm not. Sure I'd have wanted to wait longer, at least finish school first, but it happens. I'm human." She blushed a bit admitting that. "I love Wes, I love Chris, and I'll love this baby just as much."

"You're better than I am." Rachael shook her head. "I'm still terrified about raising Lauren; I can't imagine giving her a brother or sister right now."

"I'm not sure that's an acceptable answer in Eric's mind." Courtney laughed and laid a hand on her stomach. "Guess I won't be going back to my pre-pregnancy clothes yet." Rachael was quiet and she looked up at her.

"I'm in mine." She blushed when Courtney glared at her. "Sorry, I've always been a fanatic about my weight." She shrugged. "Perfect image for Dad and all that." She tried to wave it off but Courtney frowned.

"That's not healthy."

"No, I wasn't." Rachael sighed. "I never had an eating disorder or something life threatening, but I did have a lot of self esteem issues as a teenager. It didn't help that I didn't have a mother or a present father." She sighed and touched Lauren affectionately. "I used sex to make myself feel better and it didn't work."

"You snapped out of it?" Courtney offered, hoping the story would go in a better direction even though she knew it had a happy ending.

"It was right before I turned twenty, a friend got destroyed by this man and I stopped the sex part." Rachael met Courtney's eyes. "I started to love myself, but things didn't get better until I got home again."

"When you met Eric." Courtney smiled, pulling Chris into her lap as he started to fuss.

"I'd like to think of that as a happy coincidence." Rachael laughed and shook her head, having to attend to her daughter who was now protesting her soiled diaper. She carried Lauren into the nursery and laid her on the changing table, cleaning her up.

"You're getting good at that." Courtney commented from the doorway with Chris lying contentedly on her shoulder.

"I had to." Rachael laughed. "Eric started refusing to change her." Courtney laughed with her. The women continued to talk and laugh, debating the best way to tell Wes about his second child and ending in fits of laughter, not noticing when Eric came home from work. The first to notice was actually Lauren who pumped her fists and intently demanded her father's attention.

"Hey Love." Eric greeted his baby daughter, scooping her into his arms. Courtney watched the way Rachael beamed at him and stood up to get her kiss. Their love was so real, so inspiring, sometimes it was hard to handle.

"I'm going to get home then." She announced and packed up Chris' things. "I'll see you guys later." She grinned and waved good bye, making it to her and Wes' house in a few minutes. Wes came out the door still in his Silver Guardian uniform and a grin on his face.

"Hello there." He grabbed her waist as she got out of her car and kissed her. "I miss you when I work, do we really need money?" He asked teasingly, kissing her again.

"Kind of." Courtney swatted him and went for the baby sleeping in the backseat. Wes took over and pulled their son out of the car, keeping a hand on her as they walked to the door. After seeing Eric and Rachael's display of love it was easy to see where she and Wes differed, but they were different people, and they worked in their own way.

"Are you going to start dinner? Because I can take him upstairs while I change." Wes offered as they got inside. Courtney agreed and went for the kitchen, getting herself ready to tell him the news. It would be different if she wasn't already a semester behind in school, it'd also be different if she'd finally graduated. The worst part was after this semester she only had one left, but wouldn't be able to go this fall since this baby would be due around the same time Chris was, at least with her best guess.

"Smells good." Wes made her jump when he spoke behind her.

"I haven't started cooking it yet." She protested with a curious frown.

"I meant you." He murmured and pulled her close. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"I'm pregnant." She hadn't meant to say it. It slipped out but it was there as Wes pulled back to look at her.

"What?" He asked as if he hadn't heard her correctly.

"I'm pregnant." Courtney repeated, fear filling her.

"Wow." Wes shook his head. "I'm sorry." He gathered her close, this time not playfully, but comfortingly. "I don't want you to miss another semester."

"It's ok, I'll catch up in Spring." She smiled. "You're ok with another baby?"

"To be honest, I'm excited." He admitted with a sheepish smile. "I love you, having children with you is amazing." Wes touched her chin and raised her face to his. "I love you."

"I love you too." Courtney smiled, blinking tears away. "Another October baby." She laughed as he held her close.

And exactly one year to the day that they had Christopher, Miranda Rachael Collins fought her way into the world to join her brother. Courtney and Wes were thrilled for their 'Irish Twins' the exact same as Wes and Rachael, just on October 23rd instead of their April birthday. In spring Courtney returned to college and walked in the graduation ceremony in May, laughing to herself as she watched Wes hold eighteen month old Christopher, Rachael holding six month old Miranda, and Eric holding sixteen month old Lauren as she walked through the ceremony, accepting her diploma, knowing it was just a piece of paper for her. She'd never rule, never had the chance to, and gotten her degree to help whoever did end up ruling. But for now, she was going to be the best mom in the world, not to mention the best wife.

After a long talk with Wes, they determined they didn't want to chance having another child so soon and changed their birth control plan, and it seemed to work as the next March passed without a pregnancy. They were able to celebrate Miranda's first birthday without a third child, and their family settled into the rhythm with the four of them.

Rachael and Eric doted on little Lauren, and as much as they loved Miranda, neither were willing to add a second child to their family just yet. So they continued their lives, Rachael returning to work with Time Force more and more as Lauren grew, bringing back random news of their friends in the future.

Katie married her non-profit beau, and they were settling into life as newly-weds. Lucas and Bronwyn had a small wedding with just their family due to the surprise that Bronwyn was carrying their child. Ava Louise Kendall was born a few months after that, and now Bronwyn was the stressed out and terrified mother of an infant. Tripp had begun to date a pretty girl from their computer division and according to Lucas, he was doing well.

Jen had dated the 'guy from maintenance' for over two years before marrying him. It lasted little over a year before she filed for divorce, arresting him in the process. Bronwyn hadn't been keen to disclose the details, but apparently this 'Harold' guy was apparently a jerk with problems Jen had been all too eager to try and fix. Now that she was single again, she kept to herself in her apartment, playing Aunt to little Ava, pretty much given up on love. But she worked harder than ever, slightly annoyed to find out she was being placed as an Alternate Lieutenant, but kept her face as even that was an honor.

Life hit a calm rut for the rangers, and none of them were complaining. Katie and Micah welcomed their first child and Tripp married by the time Lauren and Chris had turned six, Miranda was five, and Wes and Courtney announced they'd be adding a third child soon. With Courtney pregnant again, Rachael was at their home frequently with Lauren, helping her with the other two.

"Lauren, go up and play with Chris." Rachael requested of her daughter as they came through the front door.

"Ok!" The six year old bounded up the stairs, her mass of black hair fanning out behind her. Rachael grinned as she watched her go, the miniature version of herself that Eric had contributed only one thing to, her eyes. Lauren had the most expressive and deep brown eyes Rachael had experienced in her life, let alone a child, her child.

"Courtney?" She went for the kitchen, backtracking for the living room and finding Courtney completely unconscious on the sofa. Smiling at her very pregnant sister-in-law, Rachael laid a hand on her forehead and the blonde started out of her sleep suddenly.

"Oh." Courtney tried to sit up and rubbed her eyes. "I just laid down for a minute…" She checked the clock on the wall. "An hour ago. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, if you need sleep, you need sleep." Rachael grinned and patted Courtney's arm. "Do what you need for that baby."

"You and Eric think about having another?" Courtney grinned as she leaned back against the pillow.

"He hasn't mentioned it." Rachael said thoughtfully, glancing toward the stairs that lead to her only child. "I kind of do." She moved to an armchair and relaxed into it. "I didn't think I'd feel that way."

"Little things are irresistible." Courtney closed her eyes and rubbed her enlarged belly. "I really want this one out right now."

"Just a few more weeks." Rachael smiled. "What do you want for lunch?"

"Peanut butter for the midgets, there's some leftover Chinese for us." Courtney mumbled, already slipping back into sleep. Happy to be able to help, Rachael got to the kitchen and had three peanut butter sandwiches ready by the time three pairs of feet clambered down the stairs.

"Hey Aunt Rachael." Chris grinned at her, his violet eyes sparkling with mischief as he held his younger sister's hand. Miranda was the prettiest five year old Rachael had come in contact with; she had the whitest blonde hair combining with her purple eyes to create this tiny angel.

"Hi." She grinned shyly with her teddy bear pressed to her face.

"Hi Sweetie." Rachael bent down and scooped her up, sitting her in a chair at the table while Chris and Lauren hauled themselves into chairs.

"Can we have chips Mom?" Lauren asked excitedly as her mother placed sandwiches before each of them.

"If you eat half your sandwich I'll get them out." Rachael bargained as the older two dove into their food, Miranda lagging behind as she nibbled the corners, her teddy bear still pressed to her cheek. They earned their chips quickly and she handed out small servings of the greasy chips to each, taking the time they were eating them to bring Courtney some of the Chinese food where she lay on the couch. "Are you sure you're feeling ok?" Rachael asked as Courtney blearily sat up.

"Yeah," She replied unconvincingly, "But I'm pretty sure this is the last one for us."

"Well the three will make a good family for you." Rachael tried as Courtney breathed deeply and felt her belly. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, just feel funny." She shook her head and leaned back. A knock sounded on the door and Rachael went for it, grinning as she swung the door open to let her brother in, carrying a box in his hands.

"Hey." Wes grinned at Rachael, setting the box on the floor. "It's from Dad in Boston, probably gifts for the kids, you probably have one for Lauren at home."

"Probably." Rachael smiled and hugged him as an excuse to whisper in his ear. "Are you sure Courtney's ok?"

"I know what you mean." He sobered instantly. "It's been really rough this time around." He peered toward the couch where she was sitting silently. The siblings went back into the room together, Courtney looking up and smiling with relief to see her husband.

"Hey." She said quietly and touched his arm. Wes sat next to her and felt her forehead, getting a laugh. "I suppose Rachael told you I don't look good."

"I can see it for myself." Wes frowned and looked at her. "I think I want to take you to the doctor."

"I'll be fine." Courtney didn't look convinced at her own words and patted Wes' arm, reaching toward the food on the table. Without warning she seemed to fall forward but caught herself, her arm snapping close to her body. In a horrifying moment she fell back on the couch, body trembling, eyes glassy as all of her muscles tensed. Terrified, Wes went to touch her, but Rachael snapped at him.

"She's having a seizure, get the kids upstairs I'm calling Eric." She rushed the thoughts into one sentence as she pulled out her cell phone and dialed. Wes stumbled to the kitchen numbly.

"Hey Dad!" Chris announced as soon as he saw his father, grinning ear to ear. It faltered when they saw the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Mom's sick." Wes said softly and pulled his son in front of him, "I need you to help me and get Miranda and Lauren upstairs to your room. We're going to take her to the hospital."

"Ok." Chris nodded, too serious for a normal six year old. He turned to his sister and cousin and immediately rallied them to go upstairs, running as fast as the three of them could. Wes stumbled back to the living room and stood helplessly watching his wife start to convulse on their couch. It was a blur as the paramedics came in and pulled her onto the stretcher, her limbs now limp, eyes closed. Eric was among them, watching carefully as their men cared for his sister-in-law.

"Go with Wes." He murmured to Rachael's ear. "I'll stay with the kids."

"You sure?" Rachael asked back.

"He'll be better off with you there." Eric nodded. "I can manage them for a while." Grateful, Rachael kissed him quickly before grabbing her sweatshirt and following Wes out to his car, driving him to the hospital. It was a terrifying wait to see what was happening to Courtney, and it only got worse as the doctors emerged with the news.

Courtney was having tonic-clonic seizures; her entire brain was being affected from a toxin her own immune system had created to try and fight the other, more serious threat to her body. They were unable to give her a CT scan due to her pregnancy which made it harder for them to figure out exactly what had caused the seizure, but their best guess was a brain tumor that had suppressed the flow of oxygen to the cells. She'd suffered through four more seizures since coming into the hospital, and all five had been severe enough to cause permanent brain damage. The worst news came when they informed Wes that Courtney had no memories, her life was erased from the constant electrical misfires of the seizures.

Rachael watched him sit near her bed and softly explain their life to her, getting looks of surprise and smiles when he told her they had two beautiful babies. It was killing both of them when Courtney had to ask him what his name was several times, but he was patient with her, trying to explain her family and his. Arwyn showed up with Liam looking pale as a ghost with her in the early hours of the morning and sat with Courtney for a few minutes.

Wes stood outside and received the terrible news from the doctors that if she suffered one more seizure, Courtney was going to die. Her brain cells couldn't take another long lapse without oxygen, and there was no way to prevent another. Wes was stoic as he sat next to his wife who didn't remember him even when she had a rare moment of lucidity, her mother on the other side, also forgotten. Neither spoke to the other as they waited for the doctors to take Courtney for her cesarean to remove the child before her mother died.

It was painful for Wes to sit outside of the room where his third child was being born, but holding his tiny daughter in his arms was the best feeling he'd had in the two days he'd now lived in the hospital. He laid her in her mother's arms for a few minutes as Courtney looked wide eyed at the baby. She didn't speak, or couldn't, no one could tell, but gently kissed her baby's forehead and began to hum a song to her. Wes didn't know it, but Arwyn's eyes overflowed with tears as she listened to the French lullaby. Courtney's voice weakened and her eyes glassed over, and Wes took their daughter from her mother for the last time, and held her while the doctors swarmed Courtney. All too soon it was over and he left the room, enclosing himself in the empty waiting room with his infant daughter, holding onto her as if she was his entire world.

"Wes." Rachael's voice cut into his head and he looked up at the nurses standing with her. "They're going to feed her." She said softly. He looked at the sleeping baby for a moment before releasing her to the nurses and turning to grab onto his sister. Rachael sat on the couch with him for hours, holding him as their mother used to when he was upset, letting him rest his head on her lap and just cry. He wasn't aware when he slept or was conscious, but heard Eric's voice once or maybe twice before he woke. Waking was the worst feeling in the world, he ached all over from sleeping on the hard couch, but Rachael looked more uncomfortable in her sitting position, head tilted.

"Rachael." He shook her awake and she blinked rapidly, focusing on him quickly.

"Are you ok?" She asked instantly.

"No." Wes shook his head sadly as he rubbed his face. "I lost my wife."

"I know." Rachael hugged him with one arm. "I'm sorry." He didn't answer her, but knew that he'd have to get used to hearing that phrase coming from everyone. She held him for a moment before she stood and left the room without a word, passing Arwyn in the doorway. Courtney's mother walked slowly in and took Rachael's place on the couch, for once looking less than perfect. Her perfectly ironed clothes were replaced with a pair of now worn jeans and a sweatshirt she held tightly around herself, her make-up had been gone for hours, and her hair was sticking out in all kinds of interesting directions. Quietly she laid a hand on his shoulder, feeling his muscles fight to not recoil at her touch.

"I'm sorry." She said softly, her voice close to tears. "I thought if I told her she had to marry you or move home, she'd move home. I was wrong. I thought you married her because she was pregnant, and I know I was wrong now." She sniffled. "I'm so sorry." Wes turned and wrapped his arms around his mother-in-law briefly. He pulled back and held her hands.

"I want you in my children's lives." He said slowly. "They should know your family." He nodded, that decision was an easy one.

"Thank you." Arwyn smiled through her tears. "I don't deserve it, but thank you."

"It's not about you." Wes shook his head. "It's about them. I want my kids to know who they are." He took a deep breath and stood. "I have to name my daughter." He held out his hand for Arwyn and she took it, standing up with him. They walked to the nursery together and looked at the tiny baby squirming through the glass.

"She's precious." Arwyn wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. "All of them are." She amended.

"They are." Wes agreed with a nod as he had his arms crossed over his chest. "Courtney wanted to name her Ashley." He frowned. "I didn't want to."

"You don't have to." Arwyn offered. "There are variations, Ashton, Ashlynn, different spellings of Ashley."

"Ashlynn." Wes said interrupted her with a half smile. "Ashlynn Courtney Collins. I like it."

"Me too." Arwyn fought tears as he looked back at his infant daughter.

"I'm going to sign her birth certificate and then go home for a few hours, be with Chris and Mira." He sighed deeply. "I need to tell them myself."

"I'll stay here." Arwyn shrugged a shoulder and sighed.

"You shouldn't be alone." Wes checked his watch, glad to see it was a reasonable hour. "Call someone, Davina."

"Ok." Arwyn nodded and pulled a gold cell phone from her pocket and opened it. "Kaitlynn is off with Mack somewhere I don't know how to contact her, but I'll call Davina." She shook her head thinking about her twins. They'd grown so much over the last few years, and now at twenty had their own lives to live. Davina at least knew about her sister's death, but they'd been unable to reach Kaitlynn.

"Mom!" A female voice interrupted them as Kaitlynn herself ran down the hall and vaulted into her mother's arms. Tears were pouring from her face as she held onto her mother, the two women crying. Wes stood back, not wanting to see them. He turned and saw Rachael coming toward him, walking slower than Kaitlynn had sprinted.

"I got her." Rachael admitted looking right into his face. "She's our last Lieutenant."

"You're kidding." Wes shook his head, an attempt to smile paired with it. "Kaity?"

"Hey, I didn't pick the Lieutenants." Rachael put her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. "You ok?"

"I named her." He replied, putting his arms around her. "Ashlynn Courtney Collins." He rested his head on his sister's head.

"Beautiful." Rachael smiled weakly. She went with him to fill out and sign the birth certificate and left with him, not trusting him to drive in this situation. At his house he went immediately upstairs and pulled Mira into Chris' room where they all sat together on his bed.

"When is Mom coming home?" Chris asked with a frown, little arms crossed in such a serious way Wes' heart broke again. He was sitting next to his father while Miranda was sitting in Wes' lap.

"Mom was really sick." Wes tried to hold back the tears as he told them. "The doctors did everything they could, but she was too sick. She died this morning." Chris didn't move as Miranda started to cry. They knew a little about death from the cat they'd seen run over in the street, but as it applied to their mother, it was harder. "They saved your baby sister." Wes offered, concerned with his son's stoic face.

"Mom isn't coming home." Chris clarified, his chin quavering as he tried to not cry.

"No." Wes let the tears fall from his own eyes and pulled Chris into his lap with his sister. "She loved you three so much." He said as Chris finally let loose and sobbed into his shirt. The three of them cried together for a long while, he wasn't sure how long, but picked them up and put them in his big empty bed before getting in himself, watching them sleep fitfully for a while before picking up the phone and walking into the hallway.

"Hello?" Eric's voice sounded tired over the phone.

"Did Rachael get back?" Wes asked as he checked the time. It was after eight now, and he hoped she was with her husband and daughter.

"Yeah she just got back." Eric replied. "Where are you?"

"Home with Chris and Mira." Wes sighed. "I need your help; I was going to put the crib up…"

"I'll come over tomorrow." Eric immediately offered. "You go do what you have to."

"It shouldn't be long." Wes sighed and rubbed his eyes. "They said I can bring her home tomorrow night after they file her birth certificate, but I don't have time to get everything arranged. Arwyn's handling the funeral, it'll be on Avalon."

"Anything you need." Eric said. "I mean it Wes, you're my brother."

Stunned at Eric's sudden admission, Wes had to take a deep breath before responding. They'd been fairly good friends in the last seven or so years, but they'd never said anything about it. "Thank you." He replied. "Tell Rachael the kids are sleeping, I told them and they cried themselves to sleep."

"Ok, I'll bring Lauren over; I talked to her about it today too." Eric replied, sounding strained. "I left Sanders in charge for tomorrow."

Wes snorted, "Sanders? He's good but a kiss-ass."

"Good is what we need right now." Eric wanted to be stern, but sounded amused.

"Yeah." Wes agreed and fought a yawn. "I'm going to try and sleep, I'll call you tomorrow."

"Alright, sleep well."

"Thanks you too."

Eric clicked the phone back into place and sighed in relief. Wes sounded ok, not good yet, and it would be a while before he'd be good, but he sounded alright. Still stressed, Eric went to the doorway to Lauren's room where Rachael was holding his daughter, rocking her to sleep as the girl cried in her mother's arms. She didn't understand death just yet, and losing her Aunt was absolutely terrifying. Eric moved into the room and sat on the other side of her bed, laying his hand on Lauren's back. The little girl looked up at her Daddy and vaulted into his arms, hugging his neck close.

"Don't leave me Daddy." She sobbed.

"I'm not going to baby." He held onto her, feeling his own heart hurt at her words. "Mommy and I are always going to be here for you."

"But Aunt Courtney…" Lauren protested.

"Was very sick." Rachael said soothingly, leaning on her husband's shoulder as she touched Lauren's head, smoothing back her messy black hair. "She shouldn't have died, but she did. We don't know why. But Daddy and I aren't going anywhere."

"Promise?" Lauren sniffled.

"Promise." Eric replied and kissed her head. "Now you need to get some sleep." He tucked her in under the covers and grabbed a book of her shelves. He read the story as Rachael stroked Lauren's hair slowly, trying to keep some semblance of normalcy in their world. Exhausted from crying, Lauren was asleep before the final pages, but Eric finished it anyway, needing a happy ending. Rachael put a second blanket over Lauren and turned off the light, a small nightlight in the corner shining blue across her floor. Eric closed the door as Rachael slipped out and immediately pulled his wife into his arms.

"Eric." Rachael mumbled as she gripped him as tightly as possible. They were both thinking the same thing; they couldn't bear to lose the other in any event. There weren't words to describe the desperation they felt at that moment, so they held on to one another, only moving toward their bed in the next room. They never let go as they eased onto the soft bed, Eric holding her against him as best he could as Rachael curled herself against him. It had been a while since they had just lain together, just quietly holding onto one another as they tried to get to sleep. Despite the difficult thoughts and memories running through their minds in rapid succession.


	21. Chapter 21

As sleep came late, they rose early, still dressed from the day before as they slowly started getting ready for the long day ahead. Wes called not long after and said he was ready whenever Eric wanted to show up. Rachael had decided to go with Wes so he didn't have to drive and could be with his baby daughter when they brought her home while Eric took Lauren up to play with the kids while he worked on setting up the crib.

It was strange to set it up by himself as he'd set it up years ago with Wes during a much happier time. The crib was the same, so at least this time he knew how to get it ready instead of having to wrestle with it again. It was up in no time, even getting the sheets and things ready for baby Ashlynn to sleep in. Curious as to why the three kids were really quiet, Eric moved to Chris' room. Miranda was holding her teddy bear and sucking her thumb while Chris and Lauren looked dead as they sat on the floor. Solemn, Lauren looked up as he came into the room.

"Hi Daddy." She greeted slowly.

Unsure how to deal with their grief at losing their mother, Eric sat on the floor with them. "Do you guys want to play?" Chris and Lauren shook their heads and Miranda kicked out her legs from under her.

"When's Mommy coming home?" She asked innocently.

"She's not." Chris snapped at his sister, frowning. "She left us." Miranda's eyes swam with tears, not really because she understood what her brother said to her, but because of his tone.

"Chris." Eric frowned at his nephew and pulled Miranda to sit in his lap. "Your Mom loved you and wanted nothing more than to stay."

"Why couldn't she?" Miranda asked softly.

"I don't know." Eric admitted and looked to the older two. "No one knows, it's not something you get a reason for." He looked to Chris who was frowning. "It's not your fault." He hit it. That was exactly the fear running through the six year-old's mind, that it was his fault his mother was gone. "Tell me what you're thinking." Eric requested softly, watching his nephew carefully.

"I didn't pick up my room." He said in the smallest voice. "She told me to, but I didn't."

"Your mom loved you so much, she'd have given anything to come back to you, messy room or not." Eric explained carefully.

"Is Dad coming back?" Chris looked sternly at Eric, too serious of questions for his age.

"Your Dad is taking care of your new sister right now; he'll be back for tonight."

Chris thought about the answer for a moment. "Am I going to get a step-mom?" He asked, flooring Eric into absolute silence. "One of the kids at school has one, his parents are divorced."

"No." Eric shook his head. "Not any time soon anyway. Your Dad might marry again in a few years, but not right now. Right now he's really sad because he misses your Mom so much." Chris frowned, clearly not liking the thought of his father as anything but the perfectly man he adored and idolized.

"I have two sisters now?" Chris asked, eyes narrowing.

"Yep." Eric nodded and looked to Miranda in his arms. "Her name is Ashlynn Courtney Collins and she looks just like you did when you were a baby." He gently poked Miranda's belly, causing the little girl to giggle.

"Great, more girls." Chris scowled. "I want a boy. Can you and Aunt Rachael have one?" He asked hopefully. Eric laughed, it was hard not to with a question like that.

"I'll ask her." To be fair, he'd wanted to talk to her about a second child anyway, but this was one thing that was going to have to be shelved again. "Let's go watch a movie." He suggested and took them downstairs, set them all on the couch and put on a harmless children's movie that didn't even go near the concept of death. Happily occupied, he made them lunch before calling Rachael to see what was happening.

Things weren't good. Maybe that was an understatement, but it was the only explanation Rachael had for her husband. Wes was holding it together alright, but it was hard to make decisions on lack of sleep, food, and his temper was shot. He'd shouted at three or four nurses before Arwyn and now both twins showed up, Liam on Avalon, preparing the statement to tell their people the eldest Princess had passed. Arwyn spoke to Wes for a few moments regarding releasing Courtney's body to her for the funeral that would occur in four days time per tradition.

"I would like you and the children to come stay with us for at least a few days." She was wringing her hands as she spoke to him, Rachael, Kaitlynn, and Davina all being doting Aunts to the tiny baby girl.

"I don't want to mess up their routines anymore than they already have been." Wes frowned and rubbed his temples. "We'll come the day before and leave the day after." He determined, glad to not have to deal with that aspect on top of suddenly becoming a single father alone.

"Alright." Arwyn hugged him briefly and looked back at her youngest grandchild with her twins. "I was expecting two weddings this year for my daughters, not a funeral." She sighed as she looked over her identical daughters.

"Don't forget to invite us." Wes tried to joke, managing a small smile as she did. "I meant what I said."

"I'm glad." Arwyn nodded. "I'd love to be a part of their lives."

"They'll be proud of who they are if I have to drill it into their heads." Wes managed a smile. "Courtney had me learning French for them, I'll keep trying."

"Rachael can help I hear." Arwyn smiled and wrapped her sweater closer to her body. "I'll have rooms ready for you when you come. A warning, our funerals are not like yours, there is sadness yes, but no one wears black. I'll see you in a few days."

"Bye." Wes stepped aside as she left, giving Davina and Kaitlynn each hugs as they left. Rachael was holding little Ashlynn now, the little girl dressed in the clothes she'd brought that Courtney had acquired for the baby months ago.

As they pulled into the driveway Chris sprinted from the front door, Miranda following after as fast as she could with her teddy bear. Wes went right to them, pulling one into each arm and holding on tightly.

"Uncle Eric says you brought another sister home." Chris gave his father such a suspicious look that he couldn't help but laugh.

"Another beautiful sister for you to protect." Wes hugged him again and kissed Miranda's forehead. Rachael had brought her from the car and lowered the car-seat to show her older brother and sister who peered over the edge at her.

"She's little." Miranda said in awe.

"She's very delicate." Rachael said softly and pulled her up. "Let's go inside." She suggested and went for the door, smiling at her husband who was holding their daughter in his arms, though she was supposed to be too big for that. Seeing the baby, she wriggled until Eric let her down to go see her new cousin. The six of them settled in for a dinner together, Eric caring for the baby as Rachael cooked, leaving Wes to answer to his children's thousands of questions about death and their mom. They were similar questions from before, as if Chris was testing to see if the answers would change. They didn't change, and it seemed to satisfy him, at least for now.

Rachael was wary to leave her brother alone with his three children, especially the baby, but he insisted she leave, pointing out that her own daughter was unconscious on the couch. He convinced her to leave eventually, letting her come back the next morning while Eric went back to the Silver Guardians.

"I feel like I should help him." She anxiously rubbed her hands together as Eric sat next to her on their bed. "He's got an infant to take care of by himself."

"He'll be ok." Eric tried to reassure her. "He's had two before."

"Not by himself with two other little kids."

"Chris and Miranda will sleep through the night." Eric took her face in his hands. "And he's capable of feeding and changing Ashlynn."

"But…"

"No buts." Eric demanded. "Lauren and I need you here." He slid on hand to the back of her head and pulled her to him, placing a light kiss on her lips. Rachael made a noise and pressed into him, gripping his own head, her hands sliding desperately into his hair. They lost control for a few moments, rolling on the bed for quite a while before they regained sanity and came up for air.

"We can't." Rachael breathed.

"I know." Eric said with a sigh, stealing another kiss from her. "Chris asked me to ask you something." He remembered, suppressing a laugh.

"Oh?" Rachael's eyebrow lifted curiously.

"He says there are too many girls, so we need to have a boy." He looked at her to gauge her reaction, pleased to see her go into her 'thinking' mode. "What do you think?"

"Do you want a boy?" Rachael phrased it carefully.

"Either would be fine." Eric was just as carefully. "I believe we've had this conversation before. I got the girl I wanted, you haven't gotten your boy."

"Lauren's a tomboy." Rachael narrowed her eyes, but grinning. "I think she'd rather skate with you than breathe sometimes."

"I feel the same." Eric murmured with a grin. "I love her."

"But you want another one." Rachael smiled as she leaned on her hand to look at him where he lay on his pillow.

"I do." Eric admitted and turned to meet her eyes. "Not now, obviously, but I don't want Lauren to be an only child."

"She has cousins." Rachael tried, but he frowned. "Ah, an excuse, you just want another baby." Eric was still for a moment as she caught his little fib. In retaliation he pinned her under him in a moment, loving the feeling of her laughter underneath his chest. "You do." Her eyes were bright from laughter, the brightest he'd seen in days.

"I do." Eric repeated himself. "I love you, I love our daughter, and I love the idea of having babies with you."

"We will." Rachael promised with a smile. "When things settle down."

"Deal." Eric kissed her again happily and moved to the bed, pulling her into his arms for the night's sleep ahead of them.

Three days later they were driving to Briarwood, following Wes in his SUV to see the palace. It had been really hard to explain to the children about what that part of the family was. But if there was one thing Miranda understood, it was Princesses. Her Mommy was a Princess, which made her a princess. Wes parked outside of a small record store and went in, leaving Eric and Rachael with the children, emerging from the store with Davina and a man who looked to be her age with dark hair and tanned skin.

"Hello." He greeted them. "I'm Nick." He shook hands with Eric and Rachael, bending down to shake hands with Chris who'd presented his hand stoically. "You must be Chris."

"Are you dating my Aunt Davina?" He asked seriously. Wes tried to protest but Nick stopped him.

"I am." He replied. "Is that alright with you?"

"For now." Chris replied and took Miranda's hand as Nick straightened. Davina smiled at him, touching his arm.

"You ready for this?" Davina asked with a slight wince. "It takes getting used to. Everyone holds a child." She pulled Ashlynn out of her carrier and bundled her into a few blankets, handing her to Wes who knew what was coming. Eric picked up Lauren while Rachael held Chris, and Nick picked up Miranda. Davina took Eric's hand, gesturing to Rachael to do the same. They were confused, but obeyed. Wes held Nick's shoulder and they moved to separate trees.

In seconds they were rolling onto the grass behind the palace under the huge old oak tree that towered over the gardens. Eric and Rachael stood quickly, awe on their faces as they surveyed the huge palace in front of them. They didn't notice Nick return for their bags as they started at the huge gothic palace that before only existed in faerie tales. Chris summed it up in one word.

"Whoa." The six-year-old stared.

"That was my first impression too." Nick laughed and scooped up Miranda who was staring wide eyed at the palace. "Let's go find your GrandMère." They stared for the building, the children walking, Ashlynn back in her carrier.

The next few days were a blur of pain and rebuilding their lives. The funeral was a beautiful ceremony, one Wes was pleased with. As royalty, Courtney was dressed in a traditional gown, a beautiful deep violet that matched her eyes that were now closed. It had a gold sash and fell into violet slippers on her feet. Her hair was brushed to a shine and lay behind her head, decorated with white flowers. Instead of a coffin she laid on an ornate board, a glass lid would cover her after the ceremony. Wes brought Chris in at his request to see his mother one last time, heart breaking to watch his son touch his mother's cold hand with his smaller one.

"I love you Mommy." He said in a small voice and kissed her cheek, leaning up on the flowers. Wes held his son for a moment as they were alone in the room before telling him to go find Rachael. Alone, he turned to the woman that had been one of his best friends for seven years. She was his wife, the mother of his three beautiful children, she'd been perfect. The first of many tears fell from his eyes as he knelt next to her, resting his head on her hand.

"They miss you." Wes said softly. "I think Chris understands, but Miranda doesn't know why you're not coming back." His voice caught. "Ashlynn misses you already." The tears were flowing freely as he spoke to his wife. "She's just a baby, but I can't calm her like you would. She needs her mom. Damnit why aren't you here?" He swore angrily. "I don't want to live without you." He mumbled. "I love you." Standing and wiping his eyes he looked at her one last time and bent over to place a kiss on her forehead. "Good bye." He murmured and walked from the room, not able to look back at his wife.

When he came back into the grand room, the family sat in the first row, the children quietly staring from their seats as several different people spoke, including Arwyn, whose words moved Wes back to tears, and those around him. There was no way to avoid crying when it came to burying his beautiful twenty-seven year old wife, who'd barely begun to live her life. Kaitlynn stood in front of the crowd, and through her red eyes started to sing a hauntingly beautiful song as the glass lid rose unaided and covered Courtney. Miranda chose that moment to being sobbing hysterically, as if she was watching her mother leave her. Most of the guests left, leaving only family who stood together and watched Arwyn bewitch the coffin to have it proceed them. Their procession was slow, the children, save Chris, were carried.

They followed it to an ornate building that sat behind the palace, off to the side near a small chapel. The building was built with white marble inlaid with gold leafing and just the aura of magic. Dozens of glass coffins lined the walls; Courtney's going into the space ready for her. Under it was engraved,

_Courtney René Collins,_

_Loving wife, mother, and daughter._

_January 29__th__ 1982 – August 16__th__ 2010_

Arwyn said a few words in French, understood by most present, whispered translations to the loved ones who didn't. It was something of a prayer for her daughter's soul, for her children, and for Wes. Quiet, they exited the mausoleum, met by the other guests who began speaking with them, music beginning to play.

Within a few hours it was a party, a celebration of Courtney's life. It was strange to see smiling faces reminisce happily about her at her funeral, but it was nice. This is why no one wore black; there were brilliant jewel tones and pastels. Even Alan had come, giving his son an uncharacteristic hug before greeting his newest granddaughter. He lived in Boston most of the year now, visiting California and his grandchildren when he could. Everyone spoke highly of Courtney and her life, comforting Wes the best they could.

Thankfully he didn't notice his sister's disappearance. Rachael told Eric the day before what her plan was, and told him as she was leaving for the small thing she had to do. It was strange to be at a funeral dressed in a navy blue dress, but it made it easier when she activated her traveler and opened the hole to 3008. Black heels clicking on the empty floors of Time Force, Rachael made her way to where she knew six people would be waiting, unsure why she'd wanted to talk to them. She entered the room, immediately tearing up when she saw them sitting around the room, no knowledge of what had happened in 2010.

"Oh my God." Bronwyn gasped and hugged her friend tightly, letting her cry in her arms for a moment. The other rangers were floored, they hadn't ever seen Rachael even remotely emotional like this before as she pulled back and wiped her eyes with an already damp tissue. "Rachael, what?" At a loss for words, Bronwyn tried.

"I was at a funeral today." She explained as the tears came back.

"Whose?" Bronwyn whispered the word, terrified it was Wes or Eric.

"Courtney." Rachael sat in Bronwyn's seat, tears falling again. The rangers were silent, pain for their friend evident amidst the relief it wasn't Eric or Wes' funeral.

"Wasn't she pregnant?" Bronwyn asked after a moment.

Rachael nodded. "They saved her, it's a girl." She wiped her nose and eyes again. "It's been a long week."

"How's Wes handling it?" Jen's voice was small, her face set in a frown.

"He's ok." Rachael frowned and nodded thoughtfully. "Just ok. He's holding on."

"I can't believe it." Katie stared at her in shock. "She was younger than him, wasn't she?"

"Twenty-seven." Rachael smiled. "He's almost thirty." Courtney had been teasing him about turning thirty, how he was going to be old, and her way of helping him cope was to give him his third child. "Eric turned thirty last month." She commented. "He took it well."

"How are the kids?" Katie pressed.

"Chris has been asking a lot of questions, but he seems to be doing ok, Miranda has problems accepting her mother isn't coming home, Ashlynn frets a lot, and Lauren is terrified Eric and I are going to leave her." She sighed mentioning her own child. "How's Ava?" She murmured, looking up at Bronwyn then to Lucas, neither sure how to answer.

"Good." Lucas replied with a nod. "She likes fast cars."

"Just like her Daddy." Rachael smiled weakly. Bronwyn sat on the edge of the seat Rachael was on and took her friend's face in her hands.

"Are you ok?"

"I will be." Rachael nodded with a smile and pulled Bronwyn's hands away, sighing deeply and launched into the entire story from the start. Courtney's rough pregnancy, the first seizure, the following few, what the doctors had said, saving little Ashlynn, and culminating with the funeral she'd just stepped away from.

"If there's ever anything we can do…" Tripp let the end of the sentence hang as she finished the story, horror still on his face.

"Thank you." Rachael smiled and stood. "You guys mean a lot to us." She reached her arms forward and Lucas stood to hug her, the others following and hugging her in turn, Jen last.

"I…" Jen tried, but the words didn't come.

"I know." Rachael shook her head sadly. "I know." She held onto Jen tightly for a few seconds longer than the others. She pulled away and put her heels back on, sighing as she went to leave the room. "I'll be back for my regular shift." She told Bronwyn and faced them quickly. "Love you guys. Bye." She waved a little and left the room before they could waylay her, wanting nothing more than to get back to her husband and child. When she arrived back in 2009 the sun was setting and a single figure was sitting on a wooden swing meant for a couple.

"I was wondering if they knew." Wes smiled as Rachael came for him, sitting in the other half, curling up her legs, once again losing her shoes.

"Not until I got there." Rachael sighed, too tired to cry anymore. "They look good. They're worried about you. I'm worried about you." She added.

"Of course." Wes sighed. "Everyone is, I'm glad of it." He shook his head. "I'm glad I have all of you to help me, but you have to let me do things too." Their eyes met, blue meeting green. "They're my kids; I'm going to take care of them when we get home."

"Who's got Ashlynn?" Rachael couldn't help but ask.

"Davina." He smiled at the thought. "I don't know what it is, but she calms her best."

"She's still a newborn; she'll get to know you." Rachael frowned.

"It took Chris weeks to figure out who I was." Wes chuckled at the memory. "I know she'll warm up to me. I'm her Dad." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

"Well if you ever need help, you know where I live." Rachael stood up and grabbed her heels, not even bothering this time. The sun had set and it was getting dark quickly as she held out her hand for him. They walked up to the castle arm and arm, entering the lit building and walking down to the rooms they'd all been given. Dinner had been served to their rooms, and as it was summer, it being dark meant it was late.

"How'd it go?" Eric asked, getting up from the bed he'd been sitting on while his wife entered, throwing her shoes carelessly to the floor.

"Fine." Rachael halfheartedly replied. "I need you." She said without warning and moved into his arms, capturing his mouth viciously, gripping him tightly. At their last sane moment, they grasped at the other's clothing, removing it without care as she tackled him on her bed. Completely lost in each other, they rolled over the bed, not caring what was happening around them, focusing on the here and now. When they finally landed back in reality, Rachael curled up in Eric's arms, pulling the magnificently soft sheets around them. He kissed her head gently as they lay together, Rachael moving her head to see him. "We didn't use anything." She murmured.

"I forgot." Eric admitted truthfully and held her closer. "It wouldn't be such a bad thing right now."

"A new life." Rachael agreed. "I just hope Ashlynn doesn't grow up thinking she killed her mom or something."

"Chris thought she left because he didn't clean his room." Eric told her softly. "That room was perfect when I was in it."

"They're kids." Rachael reasoned. "They're irrational. I hope their Dad isn't."

"He'll be fine." Eric mumbled, sleep starting to set in.

"I believe I once told you to never mention my brother while we're in bed." Rachael grinned as he opened his eyes and looked at her. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Sleep." Eric mumbled and rolled over, away from her.

"Hey." Rachael protested as he tore the sheets away with her, leaving her in the cold. "You're going to pay for that." She laughed and threw herself over him, wrestling the sheets away from him. In retaliation, Eric tackled her again, removing the sheet completely, their wrestling turning intimate in seconds flat. It was a wonderful thing to be so in love with your spouse that even after seven years of marriage they still rolled around in their bed like newlyweds, even if this bed wasn't in their own home. Sleep came easier, maybe it was the closure from the funeral, maybe it was the reassurance of everyone being ok, or maybe it was just the sheer happiness of being a couple for a few hours, in any event, it was the best night's sleep either had had in the last few weeks.


	22. Chapter 22

A few weeks later Wes was reeling from a particularly hard day. He sat on the floor of his bedroom with his back to his bed, Ashlynn finally sleeping in the crib in front of him. Chris and Miranda had gone to sleep with a fight, but that was normal these days, but at least they were lost to dreamland. Today had been Miranda's first day ever of school and had been screaming for her Mommy, and the teacher, not knowing what had happened, promised she'd see her after school. Wes had to remind his five year old that Mommy was in heaven, bringing fresh tears and hysteria from her. Chris had been unruly all day and Wes had already had to meet with his teacher.

So now he sat on the floor, alone, hand gripping onto a bottle of vodka he'd gotten at the store. The lid was still sealed and he stared at it, wanting to take a sip so badly, but he couldn't. His children were why he was so stressed out, but they were keeping him from drinking. The little noises Ashlynn made in her sleep were keeping him from downing the whole bottle and sleeping it off, dead to the world. The angelic way the other two slept was too perfect. Sighing, he heaved himself up and down the stairs, going into the kitchen and breaking the seal. He untwisted the cap and turned the bottle upside down in the sink, the smell of it teasing him as he watched it swirl out of sight.

"Don't let Rachael see you." Wes turned, startled that Eric was in the doorway, holding a paper bag in his hands. "She thought you'd be hungry." He put it down on the counter.

"I didn't drink any." He tried, but Eric shook his head.

"I know I saw you break the seal." He went to the cupboards and pulled out coffee, decaffeinated that Rachael had put in to help calm him. "Sit." Eric ordered him, pointing to the kitchen table. It might have been more curiosity than obedience, but Wes sat. Eric brought two cups of the decaf liquid, setting one in front of Wes.

"She's worried about me." Wes sighed and sipped the black liquid.

"She'll be worried about you until the day she dies." Eric frowned. "She loves you, you're her brother." He set his cup down. "It's killing her to see you like this."

"I'm trying." Wes leaned back defensively.

"You could be completely fine right now and she'd be worried. Hell she was worried about you when Courtney was still alive." He thought he was mistaken, but Wes caught the slight resentment in Eric's voice as he said those words.

"I'm sorry." Wes buried his head in his hands. "When Mom died, we only had each other." He sighed. "Dad wasn't around, and grieved his own way. Now I have to live through it with my own kids." He looked up at Eric. "I will not abandon them like he did to us. I don't know how to get her to stop worrying about me."

"I know that." Eric sighed. "I can't understand how you two are so close, and I do wish she'd focus more on me and Lauren, but I can't ask her that."

"Get her pregnant." Wes suggested, getting a wide eyed look from Eric. "No, seriously, if she's pregnant she'll be way too preoccupied with that to be worried about me. Besides, you need a little boy." Eric was at a loss for words as Wes was now grinning at him. "Don't tell me you don't want one."

"I do." Eric admitted, sputtering it out. "Chris asked me to have one because you keep giving him sisters." Wes laughed, really laughed for the first time in weeks at his son's comment.

"Poor kid, he's going to be very protective of them when they're older." He commented, seeing the scenarios of his son intimidating his sister's future boyfriends in his mind's eye.

"And you're not?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "At least you have Chris, I get to protect Lauren."

"With Rachael." Wes pointed out. "I'm terrified to see the day when Lauren brings a guy home."

"If she's smart, she won't." Eric took a sip of his coffee, not wanting to think about his lively six year old as a teenager, let alone a twenty-something who was _dating_. "We talked about having a baby." He admitted. "But it was too soon…"

"I know." Wes shook his head. "I'll be ok if you do. Hell, I think right now I'd love some happy news."

"Thanks." Both men let silence lapse between them as they finished their coffee.

"Daddy." Miranda's little voice cut into the room, tears streaked down her cheeks. Wes was to her and holding her in seconds, cradling both her and her teddy bear close. "I had a bad dream." She mumbled, her little arm hooking onto Wes' neck.

"It's ok baby, it was just a dream." He reassured her, rocking her in his arms.

"I want Mommy." She mumbled and turned her head into Wes' shoulder, crying softly.

"Me too." Wes said as he laid his hand on the back of her head. "I miss her too." Not wanting to intrude on the moment, Eric dumped his coffee before waving silently to Wes as he slipped out the door into the night. Wes carried his daughter up to her room and tucked her back into her bed where she would hopefully sleep uninterrupted for the remainder of the night. Ashlynn decided that was a good time to want to eat, and he went to his other daughter as she cried, soothing her with a warm bottle.

"Dad?" Chris asked from the doorway as he was feeding the baby.

"You should be in bed." Wes said softly, less of a reprimand, more of a comment.

"I heard her crying." Chris mumbled as he came closer. "Is she ok?"

"Just hungry." Wes answered. "Do you want to help feed her?"

"Sure." Chris hopped up into the rocking chair and held out his arms expectantly. Wes laid Ashlynn in her big brother's arms, holding the bottle until Chris could hold it. He'd fed Ashlynn before, but during the day, when he was supposed to be awake.

"What happened in school today?" Wes asked, trying to pry the reason for his misbehavior out of him.

"They were being mean about Mom." Chris looked angry. "Said she left us because she didn't like me."

"You know that isn't true." Wes sighed. "She was sick, you know that. The other kids just don't understand."

"I know." Chris looked at his baby sister for a moment. "It's hard."

"I know." Wes touched Chris' cheek. "The other kids are going to be mean, but you have to ignore them, you know they're wrong."

"But I want to be like the rangers, beat the bad guys." Chris looked up at his father, not knowing he was talking to the red ranger he idolized. There were four men that meant the most in Chris' life, his Dad, Uncle Eric, and the Red and Quantum rangers. They'd decided to wait until he was older to tell him that his dad and uncle were in fact the same people as those rangers, but with Courtney's death, they didn't want to stress him out with any more information.

"The rangers know when to fight, and when to be smart and not let their words hurt you." Wes tried to explain. "There's a time to fight, but this isn't it. They're wrong, and by you holding your head up high and being proud of your Mom you win."

"Really?" Chris didn't look convinced.

"Really, ask Uncle Eric or Aunt Rachael, they'll tell you the same thing."

"Ok." Chris moved the bottle and pulled it from Ashlynn's mouth as she was now asleep in his arms. "She's done."

"Thanks for your help." Wes took the bottle and put it on the bedside table before taking the baby from his son and putting her back in her crib. "Let's get you back to bed." He led Chris back to his room and tucked him in, placing a kiss on his forehead and getting back to his room. There was only a second to register that it was just past midnight before he passed out face down on his bed, not wanting the next day to come.

It did. And so did the day after, and by taking everything one day at a time he seemed to do better. Then the harder days came. His thirtieth birthday, Rachael's twenty-ninth, was supposed to be one of the hardest days since Courtney's death, but with a little help from his sister, he spent it with his three kids, having one of the best days in a while. Chris and Miranda's birthday was hard too, but Miranda had stopped asking about her mother, and even was abandoning her teddy bear since she went without it all day at school.

Thanksgiving wasn't so bad; they spent it at the mansion with his father, all of them gathering together for a huge turkey and food. Chris and Lauren started to play as they used to, running around for hours behind the house, pretending they were the almighty power rangers. Christmas was hard. Not just because the kids had to deal with not having their mother there, but because Wes was completely in charge of getting the presents and playing Santa, something Courtney had been fanatical about to the point of him staying away until Christmas Eve. Rachael helped, but he did most of it himself, managing a fairly good loot for the two older kids. They went to visit Arwyn and the other family right after Christmas, getting back to Silver Hills for New Years.

Their wedding anniversary was the worst. It would have been eight years, and he took the day off, kept Miranda and Chris home from school and they made cookies all day, laughing as they had way too many sweets before bed. Wes managed to end the day smiling; bringing Eric and Rachael over to the kids could play while they had dinner.

"I'm proud of you." Rachael vaulted into her brother's arms. "You've done so well."

"Thanks." Wes kissed her forehead and pulled away purposefully, going to collect plates from the table. "And thanks for coming over, it makes it easier."

"No problem." Eric grabbed Rachael's hand and pulled her into his lap, a hand on her waist, the other absently on her belly. Wes caught it and looked in his friend's eyes.

"There something you want to tell me?" He asked suspiciously, pleased when Rachael blushed bright red. "When are you due?"

"August." Rachael smiled sheepishly. "Found out two weeks ago, I was already eleven weeks."

"Congratulations." Wes smiled genuinely and looked to Eric. "I'm glad you followed through."

"Hey!" Rachael protested, turning to her husband. "Don't you two plot against me!"

"Plotting for you sweetheart." Eric grinned and kissed her, silencing her noises of protest. "We just talked about it; you had already said you wanted another one."

"You're weird, talking to my brother about having babies with me." Rachael tried to frown, but she was too busy smiling in confusion.

"I got what I wanted." Eric grinned. "We haven't told Lauren yet."

"How is she going to take it?" Wes frowned, Miranda had been wary of her sister once she'd come home without their mother, as if she was blaming the baby.

"I don't know." Rachael sighed. "She won't like it when I have to go to the hospital."

"Just have it on the kitchen floor again." Wes suggested, getting a glare for it, making him laugh. "I was kidding." He held up both hands in surrender.

"No way in hell I'm doing that again." Rachael muttered darkly, standing up and stretching her back. "This kid will be born in the hospital if I have to drive myself." She pointed at Eric, as if her words were threatening his life.

"Yes ma'am." He mock saluted her, getting her to roll her eyes before she went to the little seat set on the table and picked up six month old Ashlynn. "Ready for another one?" He asked softly, watching his wife hold the baby.

"No." She looked up. "We don't have room for another one."

She was right. Their little house had two bedrooms, one was theirs, and the other had been the nursery, and was now Lauren's room. Their small house worked for them, but not if they were adding a second child. Eric frowned as he caught up to her wavelength of thinking. "Do you want to move?" He asked curiously.

"No." Rachael frowned. "I was thinking about an addition, but we'd have to get it done in six months."

"You can't live in a construction zone." Eric frowned, the both of them forgetting Wes was present as they discussed it, despite how Rachael was cradling his daughter. He quietly finished the dishes as they talked.

"We can stay at the mansion for a little while, Dad's not there, and Lauren can have her own room." Rachael reasoned. "You can stay with us, he let you stay with me when we were dating, I'm sure he won't mind now that we're married."

"That isn't what I'm concerned about." Eric frowned. "We can't get a plan and implement it before you give birth."

"Then we'll stay at the mansion until it's done." Rachael frowned back at him. "We can do a few other things; you've wanted to redo the kitchen since Lauren was two."

"Despite the memory of her being born on that linoleum, it needs to go." Eric looked to Wes. "Please help me."

"How?" Wes grinned as they finally remembered he was there. "I agree with Rachael, get the plans started now, and you can have it at least started by the time the baby comes."

"Great, thanks for ganging up on me." Eric muttered darkly.

"Do you want to move?" Rachael asked him. "Seriously Eric, if you want to just buy a new house and make our lives slightly easier, we can."

"No." Eric shook his head. "I don't want to move, I like our house, I want to live there for the rest of my life with you, but remodeling so fast is ludicrous." He sounded exasperated as Rachael handed Ashlynn back to her father, something the baby got very excited about, and sat next to him.

"We'll take our time, but Eric we need to get started for this baby." Rachael laid a hand on her flat stomach. "I'd rather take time to think about it too, but we don't have much of a choice." She was right again. Damn her for being right so much, it was hard for him to take his wife being so intelligent and making his stubbornness look like he was an asshole. God he loved her.

"Do you know any architecture firms?" He said in resignation.

"I do." Wes went to a drawer and pushed a few things around inside of it. "I thought about redoing the upstairs once, but I decided it was fine as is." He pulled out a few pamphlets. "These are top firms, I'm sure if you tell them who you are you'll get a nice little discount. Don't scowl at me; take the discount for being Alan Collins' son-in-law."

"Fine." Eric didn't like taking handouts, but this was different. This was a massive undertaking. "I don't know how we're going to afford it anyway."

"Just use my trust fund." Rachael waved her hand as he stared at her. "Oh God." Her eye widened. "I never told you about my trust fund."

"No."

"I'm sorry." She said, clearly horrified. "I never thought about it, we didn't need it, so I just let it grow."

"How much do you have?" His voice was still quiet, as if he was mad at her for lying.

"Close to two million." Rachael watched his eyes widen and his hand run through his hair. "I'm sorry, it didn't occur to me to tell you about it."

"It's ok." Eric managed, still pale. Wes put a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Sorry I don't have anything stronger." He tried to grin, but it was a good point. He hadn't told Courtney about his, but she'd probably known, she had her own that he hadn't known about until her death when Arwyn divided it by three to put into trust funds for each of their children at his request. Eric took a big gulp of the quickly cooled liquid, feeling as though he indeed needed something stronger.

"I'm ok." He mumbled and looked at her. "Are you sure it's that much?"

"Last time I looked." Rachael shifted uneasily. "I don't know, Dad uses some of it to play the market, he builds it up a little for me, always has."

"And you never thought to tell me." Eric repeated as Rachael looked sufficiently embarrassed for not telling him.

"Money was never an issue for us, we merged our personal accounts, but Dad still has control of my trust until I want it, and I never wanted it." She tried.

"I took mine." Wes shrugged. "Pays for the nanny." He'd hired a kind middle aged woman to watch Ashlynn while he was at work and the other two when they got home from school in the afternoons. She had come with a perfect resume, and the kids treated her like a grandmother. He'd fist asked Mrs. Bailey if she wanted to help as she no longer worked for his father as he was rarely home, but she declined, deciding to move down to LA and live with her son's family where they were happy to have her. Wes and Rachael had been sad to see her go, but knew it was best for her. They still communicated through e-mails every so often, getting pictures of her grandbabies on a monthly basis. She'd come up to visit a few weeks after Courtney's death to see them, and made enough meals to last them two weeks.

"Two million dollars, Rachael." Eric looked at his wife, still exasperated.

"I'm sorry." Rachael grabbed his face. "I'm sorry." She repeated. "Money doesn't mean anything to me, I really didn't think about it."

"I believe you." Eric kissed her softly. "But it's two million dollars, how do you forget that?"

"It was only about a million when we got married." She tried to defend herself, but he rolled his eyes. "Ok I'm sorry." She shook her head. "You have all of my other money, everything I make from SHU or Time Force is in our joint account I swear."

"Stop." Eric kissed her again. "I think I've recovered." He leaned back in his seat and checked his watch. "It's late."

"Oh hey." Wes checked the clock on the microwave and seeing it was past the older three's bedtimes. He laid Ashlynn on the bed and went up to get Lauren for Eric and Rachael as they gathered their things. Miranda was already sitting on her bed with a few of her stuffed animals quietly playing with them, but the door to Chris' bedroom was open a crack and he saw a flurry of limbs as he and Lauren were wrestling. "Break it up you two." He said sternly and the seven year olds flew away from one another. "What was that?"

"We were sparring." Chris admitted, knowing it'd be worse if he lied.

"You know you're not supposed to spar unless you're supervised." Wes admonished them and both ducked their heads, mumbling apologies. "Get ready for bed, Lauren has to go home." He ushered the black haired girl out of his room as his son reluctantly grabbed his pajamas.

"Ready to go?" Rachael asked her daughter as she ran down the stairs.

"Tell your Mom what you did." Wes requested of the girl who looked sheepishly at her Dad instead.

"Chris and I were sparring, but we were careful!" She tried; face falling when Eric frowned at her.

"Lauren, you know you're not supposed to spar unless Uncle Wes or I are there."

"Sorry Dad." She mumbled, kicking her feet at nothing.

"Let's go kid." Rachael sighed. "Bye Wes."

"See you guys." Wes followed them to the door and closed the door behind them, feeling much better than he had when he'd woken that morning. It wasn't the anniversary he'd wanted to have, but it was the best he could hope for. Rachael was pregnant again, and in six months they'd have another baby to wrestle with. The thought of his neurotic sister having a second child brought a smile to his face, not to mention them having to completely remodel their house. This he was actually going to look forward to.

And it was worth it. Watching Eric wrestle with first the plans to remodel the house, then finding a construction company, moving Rachael and Lauren into the mansion, and finally his house being completely overrun by scads of construction workers that he couldn't stay and supervise. The construction started in May, a little over three months before Rachael was due and they finished on the 1st of August. But Eric didn't tell Rachael that. Plotting with Wes, Eric got his revenge for her not telling him about the trust fund by not telling her the house was done. It took a week of working at night, but they had the rooms all painted and the furniture in way ahead of schedule.

"Please tell me where we're going." Rachael pleaded, shifting uncomfortably in the passenger seat. "I can't sit long."

"We aren't going far." Eric promised.

"Are you taking me to see the house?" She perked up instantly. "Is it almost done?" She pressed, but he didn't answer, just smiled. They pulled up in front of it and Rachael climbed out, already impressed at how nice it looked from the outside. Inside the front door it looked much the same, but as she went further in toward the kitchen the changes were evident. The kitchen had been pushed back and expanded for more room, giving a bit more room for their living room as well. The hallway to the bedrooms was longer and their room was the same, but the old bathroom was now half of the new nursery. The new bathroom was next to the nursery, a second bedroom next to that on that side of the addition, a third and final bedroom on the opposite side of the hallway, knit close against the house.

But the completed rooms weren't the best thing. The best part was that they were all clean of any dust, painted the colors she'd selected, and had the furniture back in. "Well?" Eric prodded after she silently surveyed each one.

"It's perfect." She grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You didn't tell me it was done."

"You didn't tell me you were a millionaire." He countered and kissed her deeply, feeling their baby squirm between them in her belly. "Lauren's at Wes' for the night, we're staying here." He murmured when she pulled back.

"Do I have my things?" She questioned.

"Yep." Eric grinned happily.

"The bag I packed for the hospital?" She pressed and he nodded. "Good because I think I need it." She winced slightly. "I think I'm in labor."

"You're not due until next week." Eric protested. He'd finally completed the house, and now the baby wanted to come, fantastic timing.

"Yeah well apparently he didn't get the memo." Rachael breathed slowly. "I love the house, I do, but we have to go unless you want to clean it off our new floors." Laughing, Eric kissed her again before leading her back to the car and speeding to the hospital.

Once there the doctor confirmed her suspicions that she was indeed in labor and within an hour they welcomed their son into the world. Jacob Eric Myers was nine pounds seven ounces and screamed with tiny but strong lungs as they laid him on his mother's chest. Eric called Wes who was shocked to hear Rachael had given birth so fast for the second time, but at least this time she was in a hospital. Hoping she'd be thrilled, he told Lauren she had a new baby brother, stunned when she started to cry.

"Hey." Wes pulled his niece into his arms, trying to soothe her tears. "What's the matter?"

"Mom's not coming home." Lauren sobbed into his chest. "Aunt Courtney didn't."

Her words felt as though she'd stabbed him directly in the heart. It had been almost a full year since his wife's untimely death, and he hadn't though Lauren would associate her death with her mother giving birth to her brother. "Aunt Courtney was very sick." Wes murmured softly. "Your Mom is very healthy and strong."

"Why can't she come home?" Lauren sniffled. "Why is she still there?"

"You know how when you and Chris run around a lot and you come in really tired?" Wes asked and Lauren nodded, wiping her eyes. "Well your mom is so tired she's going to sleep at the hospital tonight and maybe tomorrow, but she'll come home."

"I want to see her." Lauren sniffled, her tears slowing.

"We'll to see her tomorrow; it's too late right now."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Wes grinned at the miniature version of his sister with Eric's dark brown eyes. "We'll all go after breakfast when Emma comes to watch Ashlynn."

"She can't come?" Lauren wiped her eyes.

"She's too little right now." Wes nearly had heart failure with the thought of taking all four children to the hospital at once. It was almost impossible to take care of two seven year olds, one six year old and a one year old confined to his house, let alone wrangling them into a car, through a parking lot and up to Rachael's room. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He took her hand and they walked up the stairs, putting her on a cot in Chris' room where he was already asleep.

Lauren was still quiet the next morning, wary of the idea of going to the hospital to see if her Mom was really ok. Miranda and Chris were quiet for the fear that hospitals were bad, that's where their Mom died, so it was probably really scary. But the white walls weren't so scary as they walked through the halls, the people who were around didn't look scary anyway. But it was still nice to see a familiar face as they turned a corner.

"Daddy!" Lauren practically screamed and sprinted for her father, happy when he scooped her up and hugged her close. "I missed you."

"Sorry baby." Eric was grinning. "You want to see your brother?"

"I want to see Mommy." Lauren frowned, wanting nothing to do with the intruder.

"Ok." Eric turned and walked into the room behind him, slipping around the curtain that blocked the room from view. Rachael sat contentedly in her bed with the baby held carefully in her arms, smiling brightly at her daughter.

"Hey sweetheart, come meet your brother." She held out her hand as Eric carried her close, setting her on the edge of the bed. Seeing her mother was fine, Lauren peered through the blankets at the tiny baby in her mother's arms. "His name is Jake." Rachael said softly, pulling the blanket away from his face. Lauren looked at him and went to touch his cheek. "Gentle." Rachael smiled and Lauren touched his cheek before leaning forward to kiss it.

"He's small." She sat on the bed and leaned her head on Rachael's arm. Eric stood beside them, the fear he'd felt about Lauren meeting her brother replaced with intense pride for his daughter. He'd read so many things about the older child resenting the younger one for taking some of their parent's attention, but maybe because her cousins had a younger sister it wasn't a completely foreign concept. After a few minutes Eric brought Wes and the other kids into the room, the smuggest look on Lauren's face as she climbed down to Chris. "I have a baby brother and you have sisters."

"Whatever." Chris pushed past his cousin toward Rachael. "When can he play with us?"

"Not for a few years." Rachael almost felt bad telling him that. "He's going to be little for quite a while, like Ashlynn."

"Aww." Chris frowned and Lauren echoed his disappointment as the adults laughed. Rachael held the baby for Wes to take and he did, cradling his nephew carefully, smiling at the tuft of black hair sticking out of the blanket wrapped tightly around him. Arms free, Rachael beckoned Lauren back up and held her close.

"I missed you." Rachael hugged her so tight Lauren giggled.

"I missed you too." Eyes bright with happiness, Lauren hugged her mother as tight as she could. "I thought you were going to leave me."

"No baby." Rachael held her daughter tighter, heart hurting for her daughter's pain. "I'm not going to leave you. But someday when you're older you're going to leave me." She smiled as Lauren frowned.

"Will not."

"You'd better." Rachael laughed. "You're going to college kid." To prevent Lauren from protesting, Rachael kissed her cheek rapidly, making the girl giggle again. Miranda climbed up on the bed and sat at the end, missing her teddy bear. "Come here you." Rachael gestured to her niece, the little girl not thinking twice before launching into her Aunt's arms, the closet thing she had to a mother now. Wes passed Jake to Eric and pulled Chris up on the bed, sitting down with him at the end while Eric sat in the chair next to Rachael's bed. A strange picture they were, but they were a family, a strange one, but a family nonetheless.


	23. Chapter 23

Rachael came home with Jake the next day, and Lauren's anxiety about losing her mother vanished with her home. Alan flew home to meet her that day, impressed with the remodeled house, but enchanted by his newest grandson. "He's absolutely precious." He smiled up at his daughter where she sat across from him. Still a bit sore, Rachael was tucked into the couch with a few dozen blankets under orders from Eric to not move for anything while he took Lauren and Chris to the hockey rink for a couple hours.

"He's quiet like Lauren was." Rachael murmured sleepily, leaning her head against the couch. "But he'll cry louder when he wants something."

"Just like his Mom." Alan grinned as Jake's little hand clasped around his pointer finger. He took a deep breath and looked up at his daughter. "I wanted to ask you something." Rachael opened her eyes and leaned her head forward a little.

"Sure." She smiled, looking very content in her world.

"I've been seeing someone in Boston." Alan said the words carefully, trying to gauge her reaction. Rachael didn't move for a moment, but looked curious.

"Do I know her?" Her face was neutral.

"I don't think so." Alan considered that fact; Rachael had lived in Boston for three years and gone to a few social events for his sake. "Arianna Whittaker."

"George's widow?" Rachael looked surprised as her father nodded. "I met their son, but never his mother."

"Did you 'date' her son?" Alan frowned. He knew something of her promiscuity, preferring to ignore it rather than try and stop her, because she'd managed that on her own. Now she had a beautiful family with a good man who loved her.

"No, he tried though." Rachael sighed. "I didn't give him the light of day, he didn't like getting rejected." She moved to get up, but he stopped her with a hand and a look. Annoyed, she shifted her position and took the baby back from him as he got her a glass of water.

"What I wanted to talk to you about is that I wanted to ask Arianna to marry me." Alan explained. "I want to know if you're alright with that." Rachael took the water and set it on the table behind her head as she worded her thoughts.

"I know you loved Mom." She started and looked down at her son. "It's been almost twenty years since she died and you've been alone." Rachael looked up at her father and took his hand with her free one. "I want you to be happy, and if she makes you happy, then marry her."

"Are you sure?" Alan looked surprised and Rachael laughed at him.

"Dad, I'm thirty, I'll be ok if you remarry." She was smiling serenely, looking more like her mother than ever. "Wes and I are grown up, it's not like we're young kids and you're marrying someone." Her words rang through the room. It was a few days away from the year anniversary of Courtney's death, and the notion that Wes could remarry while his children were still young was just beginning to make sense. It was just beginning to look like a possibility, a not too distant one.

"Thank you." Alan murmured and leaned forward onto the couch and kissed her forehead and touched his grandson's forehead. "I'll bring her with me next time."

"There better be a sparkly ring on her finger." Rachael teased; a wide smile on her face.

"If she says yes."

"There's no reason she wouldn't." Rachael grinned as Jake squirmed in her arms. She moved to get up, laughing as Alan tried to stop her. "He needs a diaper change. Unless you're willing to change it, I need to get up." Reluctantly he let her up, following her into the newly finished nursery and watched her change the diaper, happy to care for her little boy.

"Mom!" Lauren ran into the house ahead of her father. "How is he?" She asked excitedly, putting her face as high as she could on the table.

"He needs a change." Rachael replied. "How was skating?"

"Awesome." Lauren said the word with such excitement Alan laughed behind her. "Oh, hi Grandpa!" She ran to him and hugged a leg tightly.

"Hey there." Alan laughed as Eric came in the door, carrying both pairs of skates. "Hello." He greeted.

"Hey." Eric nodded to his boss and father-in-law. "Keep her still?" His immediate concern for his wife made Alan grin.

"Until just now, little guy needed a new diaper."

"Good." Eric grinned when Rachael threw him a dirty look from the open door in the nursery. "It's for your own good."

"You don't have to give me orders." Rachael refocused on putting the onesie on Jake and wrapping him up. "I'm not one of your cadets."

"Of course not." Eric stepped into the room and stood behind her. "They actually listen to me." He kissed her cheek before she gasped and turned to him, trying to hit him, laughter lighting her face. Eric grinned as he escaped from her blow, getting to the kitchen as he chuckled at her reaction.

"I'm going to go see Wes." Alan laughed and shook his head at the couple. They had been married for eight years and acted like they'd only been together for a few months. With two beautiful children they had a good life together, and he was proud his daughter had chosen such a good man. Eric may not have had the background of most men he'd hoped she'd choose, but he had the heart and the stubbornness to match hers. Not to mention the patience to calm her when her neurotic side shone through.

"We'll see you later." Rachael smiled and hugged him with one arm, the other full of baby.

"Dinner up at the house tomorrow?"

"Sure." Rachael nodded, getting a nod from her husband behind his head. "We'll be there."

Alan left the four of them be as Eric started to cook, something he knew couldn't be a pretty sight as Rachael usually did the cooking. He pulled into Wes' driveway and was instantly intercepted by a racing seven year old. "Grandpa!" Chris grabbed onto his leg.

"Hey, how are you?" Alan grinned at his oldest grandchild.

"I'm good. Dad's trying to feed Ashlynn, but I don't think she wants to eat." He laughed as they went through the front door and to the back of the house where the kitchen was for Alan to see exactly what Chris meant. Ashlynn was covered in baby food, as was her high chair, the part of the table closest to her, and her father.

"Hello son." Alan greeted the baby food covered man with a laugh as Wes looked up.

"Hey Dad." He sounded amused and slightly embarrassed to be caught like this. "Come on Ashes, one more bite for Daddy." Wes pleaded with the one year old, as she happily giggled and slapped the tray of her high chair, laughing brightly. Trying to sneak it in, Wes stuck the spoon of applesauce into her mouth, managing to surprise her into eating it. "Thank goodness." He sighed and stood, grinning at his Dad. "I swear it doesn't always look like this."

"I believe you." Alan laughed as he surveyed the dishes in the sink and the papers stacked on the kitchen table.

"Now she needs to get changed." Wes frowned and grabbed Ashlynn from her chair, carrying her upstairs. "How's Rachael doing with Jake?" He asked behind him as they went up the stairs.

"She looks good. Very calm." Alan commented. "Eric's a good influence on her."

"I think they influence each other." Wes chuckled. "He calms her, she calms him, they freak each other out and nine months later we have Jake."

"So that's how he came about." Alan laughed with his son, watching how he gently pulled the now stained outfit off of his daughter and wiped off her little limbs with a soft wipe. He dressed her in what looked like pajamas before handing her to him.

"Do you mind? I need a quick shower." Wes asked and Alan nodded.

"I'll go see Miranda."

"She's in her room with her stuffed animals." Wes gestured to her room where the door was cracked open, a sliver of light shining through into the hallway. As Ashlynn settled happily into his arms, Alan moved to Miranda's room, cracking open the door farther, seeing her play with the huge elaborate dollhouse he'd give her for Christmas. Sitting next to her on the floor, he watched her play for a few minutes, occupying Ashlynn with his hands. "Where's the mommy doll?" He asked curiously.

"There is no mommy." Miranda looked at him. "She left."

"Why did she leave?" Alan's voice was quiet as he asked the question. His own children had been older when their mother died and had been mature enough to deal with it. At least he'd thought that.

"She was sick." Miranda responded. "They miss her."

"We all do." Alan felt his heart break for the little girl. "But your mom is in heaven, watching you, she loves you very much."

"Really?" Miranda asked, eyes wide.

"Of course." Alan smiled. "She's always with you."

"Can I talk to her?" Miranda asked curiously.

"All the time." Alan moved Ashlynn to the floor so she could sit on it. "Right now, she's listening."

"I miss you Mommy." Miranda said softly. "I love you and I wish you would come home." She sighed. "I know you can't, but I still wish you would. Thanks for my baby sister." She stopped talking and looked thoughtful.

"How do you feel?" Alan asked.

"Better." Miranda smiled. "I can talk to her whenever I want?"

"Whenever." Alan agreed.

"Thanks Grandpa." She hugged his neck and caught sight of her father watching from the doorway. "Hey Daddy, Grandpa showed me how to talk to Mommy!"

"I heard." Wes murmured. "Go wash up for dinner." Miranda got up and ran from the room, passing her father without looking back. "Thanks." He was blinking back tears as he took Ashlynn back.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there enough for you." Alan sighed. "I'm proud of how you've held on."

"Working on it." Wes started down the stairs. "I won't lie, it's hard, I miss her daily."

"You will for a long time." Alan sat at the kitchen table while Wes started making dinner and cleaning up the kitchen.

"Did you ever consider remarrying?" Wes asked after a minute. "Every time it crosses my mind I feel guilty." He didn't turn from what he was doing.

"But you feel lonely." Alan sighed. "I became a workaholic, married my job. I didn't have any serious relationships for years."

"Have you?" Curious now, Wes turned.

"That's actually why I came." Alan took a deep breath. "I wanted to know how you'd feel if I remarried."

"Did you ask Rachael?" Wes' face was emotionally clear.

"Yes, she said she was fine with it."

"What's her name?" Wes turned back to the stove and stirred.

"Arianna Whittaker." Alan didn't like how Wes wasn't really reacting.

"George's widow?" Wes asked, getting a nod in response. "So Robert's mother."

"You knew about that?" Alan frowned, his children were a conniving pair, but he supposed they got it from him.

"She called me, nervous that he was going to hurt her because she rejected him." Wes explained. "That was when I visited her, scared him shitless." A grin spread on his face. "So he'll be my step-brother."

"If she says yes." Alan felt relieved as Wes was grinning. "I'll fly all of you out for the wedding, have a little vacation."

"Are you going to sell the house?" Wes looked up.

"Probably not, it's good for when I want to visit you two, and I still like California."

"Ah what you'll do for love." Wes laughed and started serving up plates of the tacos onto specified plates. "Chris, Mira, dinner!" He shouted, rapid footsteps preceding them into the kitchen. Dinner was loud with the children talking at full speed, Ashlynn making happy noises right with them. In the aftermath Alan had to ask Wes about something he'd said earlier.

"Have you considered remarrying?"

Wes looked thoughtful and held Ashlynn's hands as she tried to walk around the floor of the kitchen, having to use furniture to stay upright. "Maybe someday." He answered finally. "I can't even consider it right now, these three are more important."

"Your emotions are important." Alan watched his son. "If you're unhappy, they'll be unhappy."

"There are times when I'm ok, more than when I'm not." The younger man explained. "It's not like I'll never consider it, but for right now I'm ok, I have Eric and Rachael, they help so much."

"Don't wait for their sake's." Alan leaned on the table seriously.

"I've been in love twice and lost them both." Wes looked right at his father. "I'm tired of it; I'm going to focus on my three children and their lives."

"I can respect that." Alan leaned back. "But man isn't meant to live alone."

The words stuck with Wes for a long time. They haunted him as he went to sleep at night, when he woke and when his father returned months later with his new fiancé. Arianna was the sweetest woman Wes had met in years. She was a little on the short side, but perfectly dressed and looked at place next to his father. She doted on the children as a grandmother should, holding on to baby Jake for as long as Rachael would let her. Getting approval from his kids, Alan flew them all to Boston that autumn for the wedding. It was a loud splendid affair in which Eric stood by Rachael the entire time to discourage Robert from so much as looking at her as he downed his share of alcohol.

The second Christmas since Courtney's death passed without event, and their wedding anniversary was almost forgotten. It was half terrifying to feel as though he was forgetting her. To help the kids he put up a picture of the four of them up on the mantle over the downstairs fireplace. The few pictures they had of the older two with their mom were given to them to put where they wanted. Miranda had hers on her bedside table while Chris stashed his somewhere in his room, but Wes had caught him looking at it occasionally. Not wanting to totally forget Courtney, but trying to move on, Wes stopped wearing his wedding ring, leaving it in the drawer of his bedside table. He was single again. A single Dad with three vivacious children that kept him going from the moment he woke up the moment he was able to pass out at night.

But he managed to find some time to see the few friends he had. As he pulled up in Eric and Rachael's driveway, Chris and Miranda tore from the car, running for the backyard where Lauren was already playing. Trying to carry Ashlynn to the door failed as she whined and stiffened her limbs until he let her walk, a slow process that took him at least ten minutes just to get to the front door. Rachael opened it and leaned down, scooping up her niece and bringing her inside. Jake lay in a little bouncy seat, completely unconscious, and Eric was standing at the window, watching the three kids in the backyard.

"Thanks for making dinner." Wes hugged Rachael briefly.

"No problem." Rachael put Ashlynn down as Wes pulled some toys out for her. "I like cooking; it's more fun for more people. And Jake only eats mashed up versions of it."

"I'm glad I don't get mashed up food." Eric said without turning around, still watching the kids.

"You will if you keep talking like that." Rachael grinned at her husband, his shoulders shaking from his laughter at the threat.

"You two are adorable." Wes rolled his eyes and moved near Eric to watch the three kids running in the backyard. Chris and Lauren seemed to be playing a game and making Miranda be the character neither of them wanted to play. Actually it looked like they were setting a trap for something, and she was the bait. They were eerily good at creating ranger scenarios, except the girls had never been bait, it was usually Wes.

"I think they'll be ok." Rachael looked at the two men with raised eyebrows. "They are eight and seven." Eric and Wes reluctantly came inside, Eric moving to help her, Wes sitting on the floor to play with Ashlynn.

"I got a call from Leo today." Wes called up to them.

"Really?" Eric turned. "How is he?"

"Good, he's thinking about buying some property in Silver Lake, he's going to come to Earth and stay at Dad's while he makes an offer on it." Wes explained. He and Eric had met Leo Corbett during the 'Forever Red' mission that they'd gone up to the Moon for the day. It had been an interesting experience to say the least, and both of them had experienced their first space travel. Leo lived on Mirinoi with his family, including his twin sister Laina.

"Doesn't he have kids?"

"Yeah, he's bringing the twins. They're Chris and Lauren's age." Wes nodded. "He says they're excited, they've never been to Earth before."

"Isn't their mother Karovian?" Rachael asked, knitting her brow. "Andros' sister Karone, right?"

"Yeah." Eric answered her. "And their cousin is Zhane, who married Laina."

"She has a little girl too." Rachael supplied. It had been a while since she'd been to Time Force, and she was getting about due for a visit. "Leo's got twins?" She asked Wes.

"Yeah, Matt and Meghan."

"I hope Meghan isn't girly." Rachael snorted as she opened the fridge. "Lauren certainly isn't." She brought out a pile of cheese and glanced out at her daughter pretending to fly around their backyard. "Are they playing Power Rangers?"

"Yep." Eric grinned. "I've heard Lauren fight Chris to be red."

"Good girl." Rachael grinned. "Though I do wish she had more female friends."

"She'll be fine." Eric grabbed her around the waist. "Don't worry." He kissed her cheek and released her, smacking her butt lightly. She laughed and rolled her eyes at her husband and threw the ingredients they'd prepared on the pizzas.

"When is Leo getting here?" She asked after sliding the pizzas into the oven.

"He said next week, it's hard to tell with the transports, they're still new." Wes got up and followed Ashlynn as she walked over to the door and looked out at the older kids playing around outside. "It'll be nice to see him; I haven't seen any of them for a while."

"Me either." Eric frowned. "And there have been quite a few teams in the last few years."

"The Jungle Fury team in Ocean Bluff was the last one." Rachael commented and looked at them. "I've heard rumors about another one somewhere, but there's not much information about them yet."

"I don't like that you know more than I do." Eric picked up his son as he started to stir.

"We discussed that years ago." Rachael rolled her eyes. "I can't tell you everything."

"How is everyone?" Wes asked curiously, he hadn't heard Rachael talk about their friends in a while, he might as well ask now.

"Mostly good." Rachael nodded. "We all grew up, got married, had kids."

"Even Tripp?" Wes grinned.

"Even Tripp." Rachael laughed. "He got married a couple years ago, it's just him and Jen who don't have kids, Lucas, Bronwyn, and Katie all do."

"Did Jen ever get married?"

"Yeah, it didn't last long." Rachael sighed for her friend. "According to Bronwyn he was a complete jerk, they divorced." She looked up at her brother who was frowning.

"That's terrible." He sighed. "At least I had Courtney for a while, I have my kids. I feel bad."

"That you were happy for a while and hers didn't turn out so well?" Rachael sighed and sat with him at the table. "You can't blame yourself for the way your life turned out."

"I know." Wes frowned at her. "I never said I blamed myself, I just feel bad. She's my friend; I'm allowed to feel bad."

"Rachael?" Eric called his wife from the nursery. "We're out of diapers."

"There's a package under the table." Rachael called back, standing up and moving toward the door.

"It's empty." His reply sounded strained. Wes stayed at the table and watched Rachael try and help Eric find the diapers, grateful he'd interrupted their argument. He and Rachael didn't argue often, not real arguments, but this was easily one of the hardest topics they could discuss. It really wasn't hard to see why to be fair; Rachael was concerned about his mental state. She came back in the room and he stood up, pulling her into a hug.

"I resolved my feelings for Jen a long time ago." He murmured into her ear, feeling her tense in his arms. "I loved Courtney with everything I had, and I'll love her for the rest of my life. I'll love her because of my three beautiful children, and I'll never regret marrying her."

"I'm sorry." Rachael sighed and relaxed. "I can't help worrying about you."

"Try, Eric needs you." Wes murmured quietly as the man came out of the nursery, holding his infant son proudly.

"Why did you hide them from me?" He asked indignantly as Rachael pulled back from Wes.

"I didn't hide them, they were extra." Rachael protested, now arguing with the other man in her life. "They go in the closet; you used the last of the other ones."

"Sure, blame me." Eric rolled his eyes and kissed her, passing her their son as the oven timer went off. He pulled the pizzas out and rested them on the counter; the children heard the alarm and smelled the pizza, bursting through the door into the kitchen. After convincing them to wait until the pizza cooled, the eight of them ate every last piece and settled on the couch to watch a movie, falling asleep before it was half over.

A week later Wes was standing in the hanger at NASADA in Angel Grove, waiting for the transport to finish the landing procedure and get all of the passengers through customs. After waiting for over an hour, he finally saw his friend coming through a doorway with two very tired looking eight year olds.

"Sorry you had to wait." Leo grinned and shook Wes' hand. "They've gotten ridiculously uptight." He shook his head and bent down to his two kids. "This is Matt, and Meghan." The girl looked up and tried to politely smile, but was just too tired, the boy didn't even bother.

"Hey guys." Wes grinned, a little put off by the boy. "Let's get you to my Dad's and you guys can go to bed."

"I'm not tired." Meghan tried, but a yawn gave her away.

"Liar." Matt grinned, smiling and lifting his head, but not looking at his sister.

"Shut up." Meghan snapped back.

"Hey." Leo cut in between them. "No fighting, Meghan don't say 'shut up'."

"Si papa." She muttered darkly, crossing her arms over her chest. Wes helped Leo with the suitcases and each twin had a backpack, getting everything in Wes' SUV and on the road up to Silver Hills quickly. It took the twins less than ten minutes before they fell asleep, making their father roll his eyes.

"I can't believe Karone convinced me to bring both of them." He laughed. "But she guilted me into it, she does have the other three at home."

"You have five kids?" Wes' eyes widened as Leo nodded slowly.

"Two sets of twins. Meghan and Matt are the oldest; Izzy's about eighteen months younger, then Martin and Oliver are identical twins, they're about five years younger than her." Leo raked a hand through his hair. "It's hard, especially with Matt being blind."

So that was it. "I can imagine." Wes shook his head, Matt being blind explained a lot. "I can barely manage my three by myself."

"Laina told us." Leo looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks." Wes sighed. "It's been almost two years now, it's getting easier. Especially since Ashlynn doesn't wake up every two hours anymore." He grinned. "Rachael gets to again with her little boy."

"Oh she had a boy? Laina only knew she was pregnant, that's great." Leo looked out the window as they drove up the interstate. "So how do you like living up here?"

"It's alright, but I live in the 'Hills." Wes laughed. "See, there are three Silvers, Hills, Meadows, and Lake." He explained. "The 'Hills is where BioLabs is, and it's the main sources of jobs in the area, but most people don't want to live there, they live in Silver Lake. Silver Lake is a much smaller town, it's got that whole charm thing to it, Rachael likes to go shopping there sometimes. Silver Meadows is between them, and it doesn't have a formal town, but it's got Brighton Academy, one of the best private schools in the country."

"Did you go there?" Leo asked in an amused tone as Wes laughed.

"I did, and so did Eric before he dropped out." Wes admitted as he got off on the exit for Silver Hills. "It's got a new operator now though; don't know if it's still a boy's prep."

"How is Eric?"

"Still ridiculously in love with my sister. I've got to admit, they make cute kids."

"I wasn't thrilled when my sister came home with Zhane." Leo frowned. "I couldn't imagine if he was my friend."

"At that point he was my rival." Wes frowned. "I wasn't thrilled; in fact I was furious at her. Hell she moved in with him after three days. But she's my sister."

"Three days?" Leo stared. "I think I'd kill him."

"I wanted to." Wes muttered as they pulled up to the mansion. "Here we go."

"We're staying here?" Leo got out of the SUV and started that huge white house. "Are you sure?"

"Definitely." Wes laughed. "Rachael's and my houses aren't big enough, so we'll all come over here tomorrow."

"I think they're going to have heart failure living here for a few weeks." Leo chuckled and opened the back door. "Meghan, sweetheart, wake up." The girl opened her eyes and yawned, sliding out of her seat and landing on the ground without looking up. Matt was next to her a few seconds later before she noticed the house.

"Whoa."

"What's it look like?" Matt asked curiously, tugging at his sister's coat.

"It's huge." Meghan couldn't find better words. "Dad, are we really staying here?"

"Yes you are." Wes answered for him, unlocking the front door and taking them inside. "Go ahead, look around, just don't break anything." He grinned as the twins shot into the house, disappearing from sight.

"They're going to break something." Leo sighed. "Do you want the money up front?"

"If I had to pay my Dad back for all of the stuff Rachael and I broke, I'd be in debt." Wes grinned. "Now they'll just be terrified to tell you when they do."

"Manipulative." Leo grinned as Wes went for the kitchen and pulled open the fully stocked fridge.

"Alright, the housekeeper stocked the fridge." He closed it and looked at the piece of paper on the counter. "And she made up three rooms for you guys, she didn't know if the twins wanted their own."

"I want them to have their own." Leo shook his head. "At home Meghan shares with Izzy, she'll be thankful for her own."

"I gave up an office so my kids could all have their own rooms." Wes shook his head. "They've got this nasty habit of taking over my life."

"You're telling me." Leo laughed. "You said Rachael was going to watch them all tomorrow?"

"All seven of them." Wes laughed. "She's capable, but it'll be interesting."

"Does she have back up ready?" Leo sighed. "I'm afraid the twins are a handful sometimes."

"I think they have a teenage neighbor." Wes thought, remembering something about a girl that babysat occasionally. "They'll be fine, they're mostly well behaved."

"Have a habit of playing Power Rangers?"

"So that's not just ours." Wes shook his head. "They're going to go bananas when they find out that we were rangers."

"I think Meghan would sit me down and give me a stern talking to." Leo frowned. "She can be way too serious."

"Sounds like Chris." Sighing, Wes sat. "He got a real serious streak in him after his mother died."

"I can't imagine." Leo shook his head. "If Meghan lost me or Karone she'd try to single handedly take care of all her siblings. That girl would make a great red ranger."

"Do they let girls be red yet?" Wes grinned as Leo shook his head.

"Not sure." He laughed and stifled a yawn. "Sorry, I should go find my twin terrors and get them to bed; we've been up for a long time."

"I'll let you get to it then." Wes stood and checked his watch. "If you need anything just look around, it's bound to be here. If you can't just call me or Rachael, we're both around." He said good bye to his friend and left his childhood home, driving to his children's home. He was met at the door by the nanny who handed Ashlynn off with a smile and a wave, wanting to get home to prepare for a date she had that night.

"Is the girl here yet?" Chris asked darkly, coming around the corner.

"Yes, and she brought her brother." Wes laughed. "I don't see why you're against her, Lauren's a girl."

"She's my cousin, it's different." Chris whined. "I don't like girls."

"Then just play with Matt." Wes frowned. "I've told you, there's nothing wrong with girls, they can be just as strong as boys."

"Fine." Chris scowled and started stomping up the stairs. Wes couldn't help but laugh at his son's annoyance at girls. He didn't see Lauren as a girl, but he did see his sister that way. Weird child he had. The night went as routinely as usual, his children running around the house, arguing, with one another and causing him a headache. Yep, completely routine. At least the next morning when Rachael came they were all ready to go, even if they didn't all want to go. Eric helped get the kids in his SUV so Rachael could have the larger car for all five of them.


	24. Chapter 24

And taking care of five kids was interesting. The five minute drive to the mansion was loud, and she was starting to regret volunteering to watch seven kids by herself for the day. Trying to be brave, she made it to the mansion as the rental car did. The kids ran to the door and opened it themselves, racing inside. Rachael carried Jake in her arms, holding Ashlynn's hand as they went inside.

"Hello." The tall man with dark brown hair came out of the kitchen with a coffee mug. "It's been a while."

"It has." She laughed and released Ashlynn to shake his hand. "I never heard anything about that, I'm not worried."

"Alright." He grinned. "I think I saw your children run through."

"One of mine." Rachael laughed. "The blondes are Wes', this one is mine." She kissed Jake's forehead as he giggled and bounced in her arms. The adults laughed and Ashlynn toddled away. "Did you see where they went?" She asked.

"Kitchen." Leo backed up and let her go through the doorway in front of him, seeing the four eight year olds standing in a circle, Miranda trying to listen by leaning around her brother. "I don't like the look of that." He muttered. "Hey, you two." He got the attention of his kids. "You will behave for Mrs. Myers or we're going to go find a park and stay in a tent instead of this house, ok?"

"Si Papa." The twins responded, still looking suspicious, only Meghan looking up at her father.

"That's the best I can do." Leo looked apologetically at Rachael who rolled her eyes skyward.

"I asked for this. Go outside and don't come in until noon." She directed the older children who nodded and split out the door as fast as their little legs could carry them.

"As long as you're sure." Leo looked uneasy about leaving her with his children.

"I'll be fine." Rachael smiled and sat Jake on the counter, keeping her hands on his sides. At eight months old he was itching to walk, but hadn't quite mastered it. Ashlynn was a year older and at almost two was standing at the glass door, wishing she was outside with the older five. "Go buy that house."

"It's more the property." Leo explained. "The house is old, falling down, I'll have to rebuild it, and I can't afford to right now if I buy the property."

"What are you going to do?" Rachael asked curiously.

"Buy the property now, fix the house later. I think I'm going to relocate at least to Earth if this sale goes through." Leo shrugged. "Go live with my parents down in Mexico for a few years. Karone would rather move right into a house, but I think she understands how it's not quite possible."

"You thought about a loan?"

"Yes, but I'd rather not." Leo sighed and put down his coffee. "I've got a million dollar idea; I just need to get started." He grinned. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He promised and left, leaving her curious as to what the idea was. Making a mental note to ask Laina later, Rachael did a quick check to see if all the children were safe, uninjured and breathing. Finding all seven to be so, she set up toys on the lowest deck for Ashlynn and Jake so she could watch the five children running around the yard. Then she got it. Laughing, Rachael pulled out her cell phone and dialed her husband's work number.

"Eric Myers, Silver Guardians."

"There's five of them!" Rachael laughed, not bothering to tell him who she was.

"What do you mean?" Eric sounded amused by her laughter, but still confused.

"Chris, Lauren, Meghan, Matt, and Miranda." Rachael listed their names. "They're playing power rangers, they have a full team." Eric joined in on her laughed and relayed what she'd said to Wes, and she could hear both of them laughing on the other side of the phone. "I wonder which team they are." She laughed.

"I doubt us." Eric chuckled. "They're probably playing Jungle Fury or something a little more their age."

"Probably." Rachael laughed. "When are we going to tell them?"

"Good question." He sounded thoughtful. "They are eight." A weird noise went over the phone. "I put you on speaker."

"Hey Sis." Wes' voice greeted her.

"Hey." Rachael smiled. "I think we should tell them. Maybe after the Corbett's leave, it's Leo's choice when they know."

"I think Chris and Lauren are old enough at least." Wes sounded thoughtful. "What's the harm?"

"We don't have to keep our identities secret; we were common knowledge at the end there." Eric put in.

"Except me." Rachael laughed. "I wasn't technically a ranger anyway."

"Really?"

"Really, that's one of our Lieutenant duties; we register the rangers and catalogue all of the information surrounding them for the history books." She explained. "I was sent as a Lieutenant; I don't count as a Time Force ranger, hence why I had a blank suit."

"Blank is black, weird." Wes commented. Rachael laughed at him and looked up as dark clouds seemed to quickly shadow the yard.

"What the…" Her voice trailed off as she stood, staring up at the quickly rumbling storm clouds. It had been a perfectly sunny day just a few seconds ago, and it was as dark as night. Without closing her cell phone, Rachael lowered it to yell to the children. "Guys, get back to the house!" She yelled at them, getting their attention slowly as they also started at the natural abnormality.

She saw it a second too late, and for years blamed herself for seeing it so late. The time hole opened in the middle of the sky as lightning struck around it. Rachael scooped up both of the smaller children, and yelled to the older kids to get closer to her, but they didn't move. Stashing the babies in the house, she ran back to the five older kids as masked men came from the hole. There were only three, but they grabbed the children closest to them. Screaming, Rachael tried to fight them, but they pushed her off. Desperate, she grabbed the two children still free and ran for the house, locking them in the house. Sirens echoed through the house as she tucked herself in a corner with the four children she could grab, shaking uncontrollably.

"Rachael." Eric sounded panicked as he came into the house and ducked down near her. "What happened?"

"They took them." Tears streaked down Rachael's face as she handed him Jake and held onto Miranda, Ashlynn, and Matt Corbett. "They took Lauren." She mumbled. "Chris, Meghan." Still shaking, Rachael held onto Ashlynn tightly. Eric swore and held his infant son carefully. Wes ran in panicked.

"The entire yard is destroyed; the pool is draining into the ground." He saw the lacking number of children, only seeing two of his. Heart dropping, he grabbed his two daughters and held onto them as tightly as possible, wishing his son was there too. Rachael held onto Matt Corbett tightly, the boy was missing his twin sister, and had no one there he really knew, but was holding onto her for dear life. His father showed up in fifteen minutes after Wes called him, pulling his son into his arms and holding on, pain on his face.

"Where is my daughter?"

"I don't know." Rachael was physically shaking as she responded, shaking her head and stood. "I'll be back." She opened her traveler. "If Bronwyn won't tell me, I'll beat it out of her." She muttered darkly and opened a blue circle in midair, stepping through it and vanishing from their time.

It took seconds for her to be walking down the hallways at Time Force, trying to be strong when she felt like she was falling apart. The first person she found was the last person she wanted to see. The Lieutenants had a suite of office space on the fifth floor, their desks were pushed against each other so they could talk, and as women they talked quite a lot. There was a room off to the side that was always locked, and where their Supervisor had a desk. They knew nothing about them, no name, gender, or anything and referred to them as "Supervisor". One of the Lieutenants was in the same position, and they referred to her as Lieutenant X, or just X, almost mean about it. As Rachael got into the room, Lieutenant X was coming out of Supervisor's office, and slammed it quickly.

"Oh hey Rachael." She greeted her awkwardly, instantly alarmed at her face. "What's wrong?" The young brunette moved to her side.

"Where's Bronwyn?" Rachael snapped. "I need her."

"She went home." X responded with a frown. "I can call her?"

"Please." Rachael sat at her desk, barely holding it together, not really noticing how long it took Bronwyn to get there.

"Rachael." All of a sudden Bronwyn's hands were on each of her cheeks. "What happened?"

"They took her." Rachael managed as the tears started to fall again. Trying not to sob, she sputtered out the story, watching the color drain from Bronwyn's face, and the frozen look on Lieutenant X's.

"Rachael." Lieutenant X bent down next to Bronwyn and took her hand. "It'll be ok."

"Where is she?" Rachael snapped at her. "If you know, tell me."

"I can't." X straightened and went for her desk and turned on her computer. The other Lieutenants came in one by one and sat at their desks, Kaitlynn opting to move her chair over to Rachael's hand lay her hand on the back to comfort her. "What do you guys know about the power level registration?" X asked after they'd quieted down.

"Nothing." A girl with brown, red, and blonde streaked hair said from her desk. "What of it?"

"Everyone has a power level." X started, projecting a chart onto the wall. "Time Force and SPD developed a system for categorizing power levels to compare them. It starts with average humans, and they're given a numerical rank of 1 up to about 150. Over 150 to around 300 is what we call 'humans with supplemental abilities'."

"So the genetic abilities the Overdrive rangers received would go there." Kaitlynn asked with a frown.

"Until they became rangers." X looked at her. "You belonged there until you became a ranger, and your mother and brother are there."

"Courtney was." Rachael murmured, wiping her eyes of the tears as she looked at the charts, trying not to scream at her to get to the point.

"Right." X nodded and looked back to the presentation. "Over 300 is the ranger category." She put up the final bar that stretched much higher than the first two.

"Wow." Laina frowned. "That's a big difference."

"Teams get progressively more powerful." X explained. "Auxiliary suits are more powerful and things like that, it's all relative really." She pulled up another graph next to the ranger one, a shorter one that seemed to hover between it before looking at the women with her in the room. "When you became rangers, your powers were a part of you, and they'll never leave you, these are your power levels after no longer having the aide of being a ranger." She looked deadly serious. "The power is engrained into who you are, your DNA. So when you had children…"

"We passed it to them." Rachael frowned. "I don't follow your point."

"The Vakor's took Lauren, Chris, and Meghan as revenge to torment you. To make you feel pain. But they aren't heartless, and would never hurt a child." X looked strange, as if it hurt her to explain it. "They don't have them here."

"Where are they?" Bronwyn snapped.

"I don't know." X frowned. "I do know they were sold because of their power levels." She pointed to the smaller, but still very large graph. "That's an average of power levels for ranger descendents." She pressed a few buttons and three small green dots appeared on the graph at the very top. "Those three got higher doses of power."

"Why?" Rachael frowned. "What's different about them?"

"For one, they're the first born." X started. "And because of SPD."

"What about SPD?" Rachael snapped.

"Oh the genetic changes." Kaitlynn's eyes were wide. "I've heard about those. Sorry." She looked at Rachael who rolled her eyes.

"When you toured SPD you went through the science lab, correct?" X asked.

"Right, we all did." Rachael felt as if her world was slipping away from her.

"You, and the other former rangers, and a few of the adults who were working in the lab at that time were exposed to a strange type of radiation SPD had been experimenting with. It altered your DNA."

"And when I had Lauren, she was born with the altered DNA." Rachael tried to hold herself together.

"Right." X nodded. "Their younger siblings didn't get the same level of power as the firstborns did, we're not sure why."

"But where are they?" Rachael snapped. "I want my daughter."

"We'll help you." Laina looked at her. "I'll do everything I can from KO-35."

"We'll need it." Bronwyn spoke, looking to each of them. "Full scale searches from where all of you are. Kaitlynn you can help Rachael in Silver Hills." She stood and started to direct them. Rachael tried to protest, but was hushed by several. "Aria, you stay in Reefside, Laina you'll scan outer rim planets from Mirinoi, make sure you get Onyx." She pointed and grabbed a tablet to organize them. "X you'll work from here, and Kaida." She looked up at the Asian girl who'd been quiet thought the entire thing.

"I'll help X here and Blue Bay Harbor." She said with a nod, tucking her black hair behind her head.

"Ok." Bronwyn read it over. "I'll run scans for 2012, we'll need a prepared transport to go as soon as we have a location."

"I'll have Zhane call Andros." Laina volunteered without looking up. "We can have the AstroMegaship to Earth soon."

"Good." Bronwyn put down her tablet. "X, brief Supervisor, I'm taking Rachael back." The younger girl nodded but Rachael protested. "No, I'm taking you back and I'll fill in the others."

"I'll come too." Laina stood and pocketed her traveler. "Leo'll need me." She was shaking a little as she came up to them. The three of them got back to the mansion to find it empty, just the three former red rangers trying to soothe their children. Jake was sobbing unhappily in Eric's arms, wanting nothing more than his mommy, letting out a scream when she came back into the room. Rachael took him from Eric, but put herself as close to him on the couch, feeling better that she was with them but still terrified.

Laina hugged her twin brother tightly, and seeing them together you could tell they were twins with very similar facial features. Leo looked grateful to see his sister as she tucked herself next to him, putting her hand over her nephew's back as he slept with a tear stained face in his father's lap. Wes held Ashlynn, releasing Miranda as Bronwyn scooped her up and held her in a chair as she started to explain exactly what Lieutenant X had detailed to Rachael just a few minutes before.

"So how are we going to do this?" Wes said softly, trying not to disturb the still stressed children.

"We've got scads of people searching, we'll find them." Bronwyn's face was hard when she answered. "No one is giving up on this; we'll get them back if we have to break laws." She promised, looking to her friends one by one.

No one gave up. They worked for weeks straight to find them, with very little luck. Leo went back to Mirinoi with Matt after two weeks. He managed to purchase the property he wanted, but it was the last thing on his mind without his child missing. Wes didn't sleep much; too paranoid he was going to lose his daughters on top of his son, waking up at random points in the night to see if they were still there. They always were, but that did nothing to placate his state of mind. He wanted to drink so badly, came close. Very close. But chose instead to endlessly research and look for where his son could be, never coming up with much.

Eric and Rachael didn't handle it well either. They were both in pain, and took it out on each other, fighting constantly. When they weren't fighting, they weren't talking much, and spent more nights on opposite sides of their bed than together. The lack of intimacy was probably the worst thing they could have done to their relationship, but they were too stubborn to give in. It took almost three months of no news, and arguing with his wife before Eric realized they were falling apart. He sat by himself at their kitchen table while she worked late at Time Force doing God knows what until midnight. If he didn't do something they were going to split up, and he wasn't going to let her leave him.

"What are you doing up?" Rachael sounded tired as she came in the door and closed it; locking it behind her in something they'd started doing immediately for their son.

"Waiting for you." Eric replied, looking up at her. She didn't move from the doorway and just looked at him for a moment.

"We're in trouble aren't we?" Rachael sat at the table with him, and put her head in her hands. "What do you want to do?" She looked at him, a very sad look in her eye. Eric frowned and pulled one of her hands so that he could hold it.

"Be with you." He said it softly. "We can't let this get between us." His put his other hand on hers as she put her other with his.

"I'm sorry." She closed her eyes as the tears started to flow. Eric stood up from the table and pulled her into his arms, holding her against his chest as she cried.

"I'm sorry too." He mumbled, letting tears fall from his own eyes as he held onto her. "I love you; I don't want to lose you too."

"You won't." Rachael took his head in her hands and rested her forehead to hers. "I love you." She kissed him for the first time in months. It almost hurt to be kissing her again, coming off of the three months of almost hostile attention toward one another. But the change brought a sudden feeling of need in the pit of his stomach as he slid his arms to hold her closer. He tried to contain himself, unsure how far she wanted to go. But when she pulled back long enough to sigh his name he was done, scooped her into his arms and carried her to their bed.

"I need you." He groaned as he pulled at her shirt, hearing the fabric rip, but not caring about anything at that moment. And neither did she as she helped him take the torn fabric off of her. Despite having two children, her body was fantastic, and seeing it again drove him past any point of comprehension. And she felt the same way as she managed to get his shirt off and across the room. They managed to torture each other to peaks they needed, and release their cares with each other the way they should have in the first place. The aftermath saw them lying in each other's arms and dozing, not really able to sleep.

Not that anyone in any time was sleeping. Despite it being early morning her time, and early morning at Time Force, Lieutenant X was sitting at her desk, still scanning the planets she suspected. There were four of them, and daily scans of each took two hours each. It was frustrating for her to sit there and just look, waiting for the answer she already knew.

"Why are you still here?" Instead of Bronwyn, X looked up to see Jen enter the room, still in her uniform from the day, but her hair was hanging loose around her face in a stylish cut that looked much better for her face than her old bangs.

"Searching." She snapped back.

"Calm down." Jen knit her eyebrows and put the tablet on Rachael's desk and sat at it. "You don't have to be so defensive."

"Sorry." X sighed and leaned her face into her hands.

"We're all stressed out about this." Jen shrugged her shoulder, leaning back in Rachael's chair, frowning at the family photo that sat on the desk. Eric was holding Lauren in his arms while Rachael held the happiest baby Jen had ever seen. It nearly broke her heart to see how happy they were, contrasted by how miserable she knew Rachael was now. And how miserable Wes must be. The thought nearly killed her for two reasons. One, she couldn't stand the thought of him not only losing his wife, but very soon his only son, and secondly because she was still in love with him.

The second one had been her secret for a long time. Since her disastrous marriage and divorce, she'd come to terms with that because Wes was happily married. Well that and he lived a thousand years in her past, so it was better for her to keep that information to herself and try to live her secret dream to have children through her sister's baby. Then his wife died in a horrible tragedy. She felt as though it was her fault at first, before she logically realized that Courtney had been very ill and it was no one's fault. So now there was no way she would ever tell Wes she still loved him.

"Score!" X nearly screamed the word as she stood up and dropped a tablet in front of Jen, her face lit up. "They're on Karsis."

"Karsis?" Jen looked down at the information that was now streaming on the tablet, getting a summary of what looked like a very hostile planet. "What do you want me to do?"

"Go tell Wes and the others." X pulled Jen to her feet. "No buts, go to Wes's place."

"Wes's?" Jen's stomach dropped. "Why?"

"Because I don't think you want to walk in on Eric and Rachael, just saying." X shuddered, but laughed when Jen smiled. "Seriously Jen, it has to be you."

"Why me? Why can't you go?" Jen sputtered.

"Because I'm not from that time, it would change things." X shook her head sadly. "I've done what I can, they need you now."

"But…"

"I know about Wes." X looked at her with a look that Jen had no trouble deciphering.

"Where the hell are you from?" Jen's eyes narrowed when X smiled.

"You're the first one to notice." Smiling, X pulled a black elastic off of her wrist and tied her dark curls in a ponytail. "Just trust me ok? Time Force wouldn't hire me if you couldn't. Please just go." X was nearly pleading now, holding her hand. "Take a bag."

"Ok." Jen nodded slowly and started for the door. X followed her, telling her details she probably shouldn't know. She sat on Jen's bed while the former pink ranger numbly packed her bags for a few days stay in the past. She was going to Wes' house. Oh god.

"It's past midnight, but he'll be awake." X advised as she pulled a traveler out of her pocket and handed it to Jen. "It's yours."

"What?"

"You're a Lieutenant." X shrugged and pointed to it. "Rachael can show you how it works enroute to Karsis, I've programmed it for tonight for you." X took it and pressed the button opening a glowing blue portal in the middle of Jen's bedroom. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Jen felt her heart thud at double time as she stepped through the portal, ending up in the front lawn of a house she'd never seen before. In a neighborhood that didn't look familiar. Jen frowned, hoping X hadn't led her to the wrong address. Annoyed, Jen looked around and to the mailbox. Collins. It said Collins. Jen looked at the house behind her with a light on only in one room in the upstairs. This was Wes' house. Trying to take a deep breath, Jen stepped up to the front door with the large duffle in her hands and knocked on the door lightly. She heard footsteps thunder down the stairs and a little face peek through the glass.

"Daddy there's a woman outside!" The little girl yelled the words up the stairs.

"Miranda." The sound of Wes' voice made Jen's heart leap. "You should be in bed." She could see him usher the little blonde girl up the stairs before turning on a lamp and opening the door carefully. "Jen?" The look on his face was incredulous, as if he was having trouble believing she was there.

"Hey Wes." She smiled and picked up her bag. "Bronwyn sent me."

"Oh." He stood back and let her enter, closing the door behind her. "I… uh…"

"I can sleep on the couch." Jen offered and pointed to it. "I'm sorry this is sudden."

"It's ok." Wes looked lost. And exhausted. "I mean…" He glanced up the stairs. "You can stay in Chris' room."

"No." Jen touched his arm gently, bringing his eyes to meet hers. "He'll need it."

"What?" Wes turned to her, eyebrows knit.

"We'll talk in the morning, but we've got a solid lead, that's why I'm here." Jen stepped forward and hugged him in the chastest way possible, pulling back after a few seconds. "Show me the blankets and a pillow and go to bed." Wes obeyed, probably too confused to protest. He returned and handed her a few things.

"Do you know if he's ok?" The look on his face tore her heart out. She sadly shook her head, fighting the urge to cry. "Ok." Wes nodded and shook his head. "I'll see you tomorrow." He climbed the stairs and shut off the lights upstairs. Jen sighed as he left, feeling helpless as she stood in Wes' living room. Curious, she went for the fireplace mantle and picked up the family photograph that sat off center. Wes and Courtney looked happy, very happy with their two kids sitting with them. They looked like the perfect family, all of them in blue jeans and white button down shirts, smiles on their faces. It was heartbreaking, even though she was in love with him, to know his perfect little family had been torn apart not once, but twice.

Moving the picture closer to the light she looked at the face of the little boy in Wes' arms. He had Wes' hair color, but Courtney's violet eyes. Both children had their mother's fascinating purple eyes, and Miranda had the whitest blonde hair that fanned around her face like an angel's. But Chris resembled his father, the same strong face, transposed to the younger child. He was his father's son, both in resemblance and the way he leaned toward Wes in the photo. Jen replace it back on the mantle, eyes sliding over the school pictures of Chris and Miranda, slightly older than the one in the family picture, and a picture of Wes holding a year old Ashlynn.

She threw a blanket on the couch and the pillow at the end, climbing onto it and lying awake for an hour before drifting off into an uneasy sleep. And was roused by a little girl staring at her. It was confusing enough to not remember where she was, but to see a two year old staring at her with a teddy bear grasped in her hands, purple eyes looking at her.

"Hi." Jen sat up as she spoke. "Who are you?" The little blonde girl answered with a few syllables, but Jen wasn't exactly fluent in children's manner of speaking, and wasn't able to decipher her name. "Where's your Dad?" She tried, and was offered a hand. The two year old walked slowly down the hall, bringing Jen to a kitchen where Wes was putting things into a paper bag.

"Ashlynn, where'd you… oh." Wes saw them in the doorway after he started speaking. Ashlynn screamed happily and went for him, getting scooped up into her father's arms. "You brought me a friend." The little girl giggled and gripped her teddy bear tightly. "Morning." He looked better this morning, a little happier, and a little better rested. "The nanny will be here to watch Ashlynn soon, then I'm taking you to Rachael's."

"Ok." Jen nodded as the other girl came into the kitchen.

"You're still here?" Miranda looked surprised.

"Miranda." Wes frowned at his daughter. "This is my friend Jen."

"Hi Jen." Miranda looked up at her. "Are you going to help find my brother?" Her face was serious, and at seven that was tragic.

"I'm going to do my best." Jen promised.

"You have to go to school." Wes bent down and kissed her forehead. "Have a good day sweetheart." He handed her the paper bag lunch he'd just made and pushed her for the door. Miranda waved to Jen, grabbed her backpack and ran out the door in time to catch the bus.

"She's a ball of energy." Jen commented as Wes put Ashlynn on the floor.

"They all are." Wes shook his head. "I can barely keep up with them sometimes." He looked at her, fully facing the woman he'd honestly never expected to see again. "You know how I've been, what about you? Are you ok?"

"I've been ok." Jen nodded slowly. "Rachael told you about my marriage?"

"Yeah." Wes nodded with a wince. Jen sighed and moved toward his coffee maker, accepting the cup he handed her and pouring herself some.

"I thought I was happy, but I just wanted to be happy so bad, I tricked myself into it." Jen shook her head. "He was an ass; I didn't see it until it was too late." Jen held the cup in her hands as she'd seen Rachael do a thousand times. "At least I got the satisfaction of arresting him before divorcing him."

"I'm sorry." Wes offered, stepping forward to pick up Ashlynn from where she'd lodged herself in a corner.

"I'm not." Jen shook her head. "Bastard deserved it."

Wes chuckled and put Ashlynn in her lap. "You haven't changed a bit." He was smiling at her. Oh God he was smiling at her. That smile was infectious, she had to smile back.

"Is that a good thing?" She asked and took a sip of the liquid.

"Oh yes." Wes put Ashlynn down as a middle aged woman came in and scooped her up. "Thanks for coming Emma; I need to get to Rachael and Eric's." Wes spoke to her. "We might be late." The woman nodded and looked suspiciously at the strange woman in her employer's kitchen. Jen excused herself at the look and changed her clothes, grabbed her traveler and followed Wes to his SUV.

Rachael and Eric's house was bigger than it had been before, that was certain. Jen looked up at the newer addition that had been built since she'd been there years before for their wedding. "Do you work today?"

"We were supposed to." Wes said as they got to the door. "I didn't tell them you're here." He knocked on the door before just opening it and yelling into the house. "Rachael? Eric? Are you guys up yet?"


	25. Chapter 25

They weren't. In fact they were still in bed, and still naked. As soon as Wes knocked, Rachael cracked her eyes open, but when he yelled into the house, she leapt from their bed and closed the door to their bedroom as quietly as she could, hoping he hadn't see her. Eric had sat up and was looking at her for a moment before she stifled a laugh and leaned on the bed to give him a kiss. Eric held her head to prolong the kiss, but let her go in favor of dressing to meet her brother who was in their kitchen for some reason. Rachael slipped out of the room first, and he went for the nursery, picking Jake up out of his crib and carrying him to the kitchen.

"Hey Eric." Jen was smiling as she stood in their kitchen.

"Hey Jen." Eric grinned at the sight of her. "Do you have news?"

"I do, but I can't access it." Jen blushed a little and held her traveler to Rachael who opened it up and moved to the files they needed.

"Karsis, I've never heard of Karsis." Rachael looked up with a frown. "Does Laina know?"

"Not sure, X found the data and pushed me here." Jen shook her head. "I wasn't really expecting to end up on Wes' front lawn at midnight."

"X, huh." Rachael frowned. "I don't like her, she's weird."

"That isn't a good reason." Eric frowned at his wife while he one handedly made a bottle for their son and presented it to him.

"It's a feeling, I don't know." Rachael sighed and looked at the information. "We've got to get this to Laina and Andros."

"Where's your computer?"

In a few minutes they were accessing the computer and letting Laina know what was going on. She signed off to contact Andros, and they were stuck waiting for at least an hour with only light conversation and Jake to pass the time. Despite protesting, Jen was handed little Jake, and he happily looked at her, laughing when she made faces for him. Eric went to the Silver Guardians later in the morning to check on things and delegate duties in person, leaving the three of them alone, Wes comfortable enough to talk to his sister.

"You're talking again." He commented and Rachael shook her head.

"We talked last night." Rachael sighed and rested her head on one hand and looked at her son in Jen's hands. "I didn't realize how bad it was."

"You scared me." Wes admitted. "The last thing I want to see is you two splitting up." Jen's stomach dropped. Eric and Rachael having problems? Getting divorced wasn't an option for the two of them, they were their team couple, and they were in love.

"I know." Rachael sighed. "It's not like Lauren held us together, but losing her hurt the both of us, it was easier to take it out on each other." She smiled at Jen's horrified face and touched her arm. "Don't worry, we figured it out."

"You had sex again." Wes accused her, getting a roll of her eyes from his sister. "Hey, whatever works." He grinned at her as she stood and went to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of lemonade.

"Stop talking about my sex life."

"Love you Sis."

"Yeah yeah." Rachael put a glass in front of him and kept two close to her as Jake reached for them on the table. "No babe, you're not old enough for lemonade." She grabbed his hand and held it for a moment.

Wes watched Jen hold Jake with a weird feeling. When they were rangers he'd fantasized about Jen, marrying her, having children with her, but seeing her hold a baby in her arms was surreal. She wasn't uncomfortable, she carefully controlled him when he wanted to grasp at things that he was too little for, and the smile on her face when she looked at him, just wow. It was hard to think that way. It had been over two years since Courtney died, but he still felt guilty for fantasizing about a woman. Especially if that woman was Jen. A woman he couldn't have; never could before, and getting his hopes up now was and even worse idea.

"Guys." Laina was back on screen in an instant, getting their attention easily. "Karsis is way past Onyx, it's going to be rough." She was breathing fast, excited. "Andros and Zhane are going to get here soon to pick up me and Leo; we'll be on Earth by either tomorrow night or the next morning."

"We'll be ready." Wes nodded as Laina cut the com. He stood and thought for a moment. "I'm going to go to work with Eric, fill him in. Do you want to stay here?" He asked Jen awkwardly, realizing she was practically his guest.

"Sure, I can hang out with this one all day." Jen grinned and held Jake close, the nearly one year old bouncing in her lap, chewing on the plastic toy in his hands.

"Go." Rachael encouraged and stood. "But I'm calling Eric."

"Do what you have to." Wes shrugged but grinned. "Dinner?"

"I'll make it." Rachael nodded and Wes left, feeling good as he drove to the Silver Guardian headquarters. Jen took Jake into the living room where some toys were strewn on the floor and sat him down, showing all of them to him while his mother was on the phone with his father. She was so engrossed with the little boy she barely noticed when Rachael sat down on the couch to watch them.

"Thanks for letting me play with him." Jen smiled. "Ava got big."

"They do that." Rachael smiled the type of smile mom's have when thinking or talking about their children. Jen wasn't sure what to say to her friend, but Rachael moved to the floor with them, giving her son a plastic teething ring to chew on.

"I don't know what to say." Jen blurted after a minute of silence. To her relief Rachael only smiled and shook her head.

"No one knows what to say to us." She looked sad. "So they don't. No one calls, all anyone can say is that they're sorry, how horrible it is." Her face started to contract with anger. "I know how horrible it is, I lost my daughter."

"We're going to get her back." Jen looked at her and Rachael nodded slowly. "Do you want to do something to distract yourself? Like show me the city since I last saw it?" Jen offered, trying to loosen up her friend at least a little.

"Sure, we can bring the guys lunch." Rachael nodded and stood up to grab a bag of things for Jake, then dressing him in a cute little outfit before handing him back to Jen. They packed him in his car seat in Rachael's mustang to drive up to Silver Hills, starting with the one place Jen recognized well. The clock tower had been severely damaged in their last battle against Ransik and, last she'd seen at Rachael's wedding, it was still boarded up and barely held together. Now, almost nine years later, it looked just as it had when she lived there.

"Wow." Jen looked up at it with a huge smile on her face, the memories of the happier times they spent there. "Can I go in?" She looked to Rachael who was smiling too.

"Sure. Dad owns it now; he reopened the 'Nick of Time' too." Rachael pulled Jake from the car and held him against her as they went for the front door. "He hires college students who go to SHU and don't have any work experience to build up a resume."

"Your Dad changed." Jen commented as they went through the door and faced a smiling teenaged girl that asked them in a very chipper voice if they needed any help before seeing Rachael.

"Oh hey Professor Myers." She grinned, putting a hand on her hip. She wore a bright orange t-shirt with a clock logo on it. "Is that your son?"

"It is." Rachael turned Jake so he could see the girl, and he instantly shied away, a flirtatious grin on his face. The women laughed at his natural reaction before stepping behind the counter and going up the stairs. "This is my little project." Rachael grinned as they climbed the stairs up to the floor where Jen had lived for almost a year. Coming onto the landing she gasped at what she saw.

It was almost exactly the same. There were a few things that were different, but most of it was the same as it had been nine years ago, rebuilt, put back in place, and clean. There was no TV, and their things were obviously no longer up where they'd slept, but it felt like home still. Rachael was quiet as Jen walked around her former home, examining everything that had been done to rebuild it. She came back down and found Jake toddling across the floor toward her. Enchanted with him, Jen scooped him into her arms and carried him back to Rachael. "Why are you doing this?" She asked, still looking around at it.

"For Wes really." Rachael laughed when Jake refused to go to her, preferring Jen's arms for now. "He'd had such a bad time, I wanted to do something for him, but then this happened." She shook her head. "I haven't been up here since it happened."

"It looks amazing." Jen smiled. "I'm impressed."

"Thanks, I drag Eric up here sometimes." Rachael grinned. "He rebuilt the table, and a few other things, mostly lifting. Lauren loved to play up here. It was nice to have all of us up here."

"Neither of you lived up here." Jen grinned and got a laugh.

"True, just that one night." Rachael agreed.

"Wes was not happy about that." Releasing Jake back to the floor where he kept practicing walking, Jen continued. "The look on his face that morning when you and Eric were all wrapped up on the floor was priceless; he looked like he'd eaten a lemon." She laughed and shook her head as the thought of what had been said earlier returned. "Are you guys ok now?"

"Not really." Rachael admitted with a sigh. "But I know we'll get there." She nodded slowly. "'Til death do we part."

"You really believe that?" Jen asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the wake of her own divorce.

"I believe it for us." Rachael clarified, taking Jen's hand. "Sometimes it doesn't work, but I love Eric, and we're meant to be together, I know that. I blamed myself for losing our daughter, and I took it out on him. It was wrong, and I know that."

"You can't blame yourself." Jen said softly. "You got four of them back safely."

"I know." It wasn't hard to see Rachael was fighting tears. "Why don't we go get some subs and bring them to the guys?" She stood and pulled Jake away from the couch he was trying to climb on, getting an indignant scream from him as she carried him down the stairs. Despite his protests, Rachael didn't give in, so he stretched for Jen who took him, soothing his little ego so Rachael could drive them to pick up food. By the time they got the Silver Guardian headquarters, Jake was happily playing with Jen as she clapped her hands and showed him to hit hers. "I think our son has a new favorite." Rachael commented as they came in to the office, both men looking up at Jen playing with Jake.

"Darn." Eric grinned and stood to take the subs from Rachael, surprised when she leaned up to kiss him. He wasn't going to complain though, using his free hand to touch the small of her back. "Guess we need another one."

"No way." Rachael laughed and shook her head, dividing the subs to which of them they belonged to. She took advantage of Jake being mesmerized by Jen and letting her feed him as she sat close to Eric, much closer than they had in a while.

"Leo called." Wes commented after a moment. "He and Laina are on the MegaShip, they'll get here late tonight. Emma said she can stay with Ashlynn and Miranda for a while, Jake can stay with them too."

Rachael looked to Eric. "Ok." He nodded to her and she looked back to Wes, repeating the word. "Why don't we all stay at the mansion tonight, wake up all together, I'll throw together a little breakfast, and then Emma can have the kids there all day."

"She'll have to drive Miranda to school then, the bus won't get her there." Wes leaned back in his chair. "But that's a good idea."

"I can help." Jen offered. "Bronwyn showed me how to make pancakes." She grinned at Wes who looked amused. "And yes, I managed to make cookies once."

"Just once?" Wes grinned. "I mean the ones you gave me were pretty bad."

"I figured out the problem." Jen retorted with a slight scowl, but couldn't help but grin. "Ava liked them."

"How old was she? Because if she's under two it doesn't count because they'll eat dirt at that age."

"She was five." Jen felt slightly superior. "Even Bronwyn said it was good."

"Was she lying to make you feel better?" Wes was grinning, now leaning on his desk as if he was interviewing her.

"She wouldn't have eaten them later if she was." Jen defended. "Do I have to make you cookies again?"

"I don't want to risk it."

"Too bad." Jen looked to Rachael and Eric who looked highly amused by the exchange. "Can we go to the grocery store? Apparently I have to prove something to your brother."

"Sure." Rachael laughed. "What do you guys want for dinner?" She looked up at Eric and hand her hand on his leg. His arm was around her shoulders as he thought for a moment. "You want chicken a la king again?" She laughed. "You always want that."

"It's the first thing you ever made me." He laughed as she stood, but pulled her down to kiss her. "I can't help that it's delicious." Rachael couldn't help but grin at him as they packed Jake up again and went out. It was amazing to feel the way she did with Eric again, like they were newlyweds or something again. Eric was trying really hard to patch things up between them, and it took a little work to feel at ease after the way they'd treated each other, but it was getting better.

And they were some of the best damn cookies Wes had ever eaten. He didn't know what the heck she did to them, but they were the best chocolate chip cookies he'd had since he was a kid. Reluctantly he'd had to admit to Jen that fact and the smug look on her face was nice to see. And to be fair to Eric, Rachael did make the best chicken a la king ever. The pair of them went upstairs to put Jake down after dinner, leaving Wes and Jen alone for a few minutes.

"Do you ever think about getting remarried?"

Startled, Jen looked at Wes when he asked the question, leaning on the counter, eating yet another of her cookies. That was the last subject she wanted to talk about with anyone, let alone him. "Not really." She managed. "Why?"

"Just wondering." Wes shrugged. "It's different for you."

"Because I divorced him?"

"Yeah." Wes looked odd as he looked at her. "Courtney died, it's different. You probably don't feel guilty about it."

"Do you think about it?" Jen asked, putting down the dishes she'd started to do and facing him squarely. He looked as distressed as she'd ever seen him.

"It's been two years." He spoke defensively. "I'm a single parent to three kids, it's hard by myself. Eric and Rachael help, but they have their own problems. Then I feel guilty whenever I see the pictures of her around the house, like I'm being unfaithful or something."

"She'd want you to be happy." Jen said quietly. "Courtney wasn't vindictive. She wouldn't want you to be alone for the rest of your life just for her. No." She stopped him from answering with a hand. "We talked at Rachael's wedding, she wasn't like that and you know it. You just feel guilty."

"She was my wife."

"She'd want you to be happy." Jen repeated. "You don't have to feel guilty, you're human; you're not meant to be alone."

"My Dad told me that." A weak smile grew on Wes' face. "Right before he got remarried." At Jen's look of surprise he explained. "He came to ask us personally, despite how we were both over thirty, that he was proposing an old friend in Boston. They got married this past fall."

"Wow." Jen breathed. Alan Collins had gotten married again; he must have had a bigger personality overhaul than she thought.

"That's what I thought." Wes sighed. "He lived without my Mom for almost twenty years, but I don't like what happened to him."

"No one's saying you should get married tomorrow." Jen smiled and took a step closer to him. "Don't go marry the first girl you see. Go on a date; get comfortable with the idea before you settle down again."

"I will if you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jen frowned at him, getting back into her bossy pink ranger mode.

"You haven't dated since your divorce have you?" Wes looked a little too happy with his accusation. When she didn't answer he chuckled. "I knew it. If you go out, I will."

"You can't…" Jen sputtered, completely flustered by his grinning and comments. "I'm not… no!"

"Why not? If I have to go out on a date, you should have to too. I'll use Rachael's traveler so we can compare notes."

"You're being ridiculous." Jen accused him, but he was still laughing.

"I'm teasing, Jen." He said after catching his breath. "I missed hanging out with you."

"I didn't miss you teasing me." Jen tried to frown, but ended up smiling at him. "I missed you too." She admitted after a moment. "It's been a long couple years."

"It has." Wes agreed, grinning widely as his daughters came into the room hand in hand. "Ready for bed?" He asked, moving toward them.

"I am." Seven year old Miranda looked up at her Dad. "Ashes isn't."

"Ok." Wes pulled the two year old into his arms and she immediately snuggled her head into his shoulder. "Where are Uncle Eric and Aunt Rachael?"

"Upstairs." Miranda tucked her blonde hair behind her head while her other hand gripped the edge of her white nightgown. "They were talking in Jake's room."

"Ok." Wes nodded to his daughter, not believing for a second that Eric and Rachael were still talking. "Why don't you go get in bed so I can change Ashlynn?"

"But I don't want to be alone." Miranda shook her head, grabbing at Wes' hand.

"I'll go with you." Jen volunteered as Wes looked torn between his daughters. She looked to the little girl and smiled. "Do you mind?"

"No." Miranda looked a little wary.

"I'll come in as soon as I put Ashlynn down." Wes promised her and started for the stairs. Jen took Miranda's hand and they went together to the stairs, going up them and to the bedroom Miranda was using while they were staying there.

"This is Aunt Rachael's room." Miranda informed Jen as she hopped up into the bed. Jen sat on the bed and helped the little girl climb into it and pulled the covers up.

"I've been here." Jen smiled. "A long time ago."

"Did you know my Mommy?" Miranda perked up and looked excitedly at Jen. "I miss her a lot, but Grandpa told me I can talk to her whenever I want, so whenever I miss her a lot I just tell her, and I feel better."

Jen grinned at the stream of words Miranda let out, but it was nice to hear she was doing well since losing her mother. "I did know your Mom, but it was before you were born."

"That's a long time." Miranda's eyes were wide. "I talk to Chris a lot too." She got quieter. "But I don't think he's gone like Mommy. I think he'll come back."

"Me too." Jen smiled at her. "Do you miss playing with your brother?"

"Yeah, we're friends." Miranda nodded. "We have the same birthday; I hope he's back for it." Now that was something Jen hadn't known. She knew Wes and Rachael had the same birthday a year apart, but not Chris and Miranda too. She was about to agree that he would be when Wes came in and took her place, carefully tucking Miranda into bed and kissing her forehead good night. "I love you Daddy." She said happily, almost carefree as she rolled over to sleep, her teddy bear held tightly in one hand.

"Love you too baby." Wes said softly, following Jen out the door, flicking off the light and closing it gently.

"She's something." Jen commented as they started back down stairs, a baby monitor in Wes' hands for Ashlynn.

"What'd she say?" Curious, Wes caught up with Jen as they went back downstairs.

"She told me about how she misses her mom, and that she talks to her. And how she talks to Chris too." Jen explained, not realizing Wes hadn't known that until she saw the look on his face. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew."

"I didn't." Wes sighed. "But I'm glad you told me. I don't even know what he'll be like when he comes back."

"He's still young." Jen tried to comfort him but didn't have much luck as they went back for the kitchen, meeting Eric and Rachael where the pair was eating cookies and milk. Laughing Jen joined them, the new way of spending a night when you had children. No alcohol or anything, just cookies and milk. The four of them stayed awake until the early hours of the morning when a knock came on the door. Jen opened it to see a very surprised Laina, surrounded by people they sort of knew. Once they were all ushered inside, each was given the food of the night, amusing all of them.

"I cannot believe you made these." Laina gushed as she ate it. Beside her Leo was quiet, but nodded his agreement about the cookies and Andros had eaten quite a few himself.

"I don't see why none of you believe I can cook." Jen was indignant as she crossed her arms.

"Bad reputation." Rachael laughed, surprised when a knock came from the door again. She disappeared to answer it, returning with someone Wes was happy to see.

"Kaity." He stood up and hugged his former sister-in-law as she threw her bag on the floor. "You shouldn't have come."

"Hey Wes." Kaitlynn tossed her now short, straight hair. "I'm not missing this for the world. Courtney would have wanted to go, so I'm going for her." She looked right at him with her brilliant purple eyes and he backed off.

"Didn't you just have a baby?" Laina asked with frown.

"Twins." Kaity grinned and grabbed a cookie. "So did Davina, strange twin phenomenon." She shrugged. "Mine are identical, hers aren't."

"They're babies Kaitlynn." Rachael frowned. "You should be with them."

"They have their father." Kaitlynn looked to her two friends. "And you two should stop acting like my mom, I'm fine." She turned to Wes. "He's my nephew."

"I'm not the one saying no." Wes grinned. "You're welcome to come with us."

"Ha." Kaity sat herself next to Rachael and took another cookie. "These are really good." The cookie conversation repeated itself again before they made it to sleep. An uneasy sleep that they woke from and made it up from and downstairs to see Miranda off to school, and Jake and Ashlynn into the arms of the nanny.

Piling into three cars, they started for the NASADA base, no one speaking as they made their way there. It was tense as the seven former rangers loaded onto the Astro MegaShip and sat around the center console, connecting it straight to Bronwyn from the four travelers between them.

"From the information X got me, it looks like they're in the capital city." Bronwyn winced. "Karsis is worse than Onyx, it's not going to be easy."

"We're prepared." Eric's voice was dark, back in his Quantum Ranger mode, his morpher on his wrist, ready to be used.

"I don't doubt that." Bronwyn sighed and pulled up information for them to see. "Karsis has been ruled for the last thousand years by a Synod, it's like a congress, of ten Lords who vote on their propositions to determine how their planet is governed."

"Sounds like SPD." Wes snorted, getting a look of agreement from Leo, but a frown from Andros.

"SPD may not always manage to do the right thing, but they're trying." He said defensively looking at his brother-in-law. "They want peace, and have made the biggest strides toward it by using diplomacy through their board, not just battling like we do."

"Alright." Leo threw up his hands. "I wasn't thrilled about their tour, and honestly that mishap that affected my child is a little disheartening."

"Anyway." Bronwyn interrupted with a wince. "Karsis has experienced dozens of civil wars in the last century alone, your century, and the last one ended a year ago. They're still rebuilding the main palace from when it was attacked. I'd look there." She offered. "Your travelers can locate them."

"How? They don't have ranger signatures." Kaitlynn frowned.

"Use their mother's." Bronwyn looked at the tablet in front of her. "Karone and Rachael both had a ranger power that can be tracked, and Courtney's signal is unique enough, I'll send it through." Their travelers all lit up with the new information. "Split up into four teams, Wes and Jen, Rachael and Eric, Leo and Laina, then Andros and Kaitlynn." Bronwyn determined, taking the guesswork out of the whole thing. "Good luck."


	26. Chapter 26

All eight of them fell silent as they descended toward the surface of the hostile planet. It was a strange sight to see the perfectly modern and metal city contrasted with the straw and dirt houses that rimmed the city wall. The city could have passed for beautiful if they weren't desperately trying to find three innocent children in that city. Andros landed just outside the city and joined the other rangers as they pulled long brown cloaks over their clothes and disembarked, splitting up into their designated pairs.

Eric held Rachael's hand tightly as she used her traveler to search for her own signal. Frustrated, she she'd occasionally look for Eric's, but didn't get much else. Frustrated, they slipped through the busy streets of people dressed similarly to them, many dark haired humans with similarly dark eyes. The two of them blended in fine with their dark hair, and Rachael kept her brilliant green eyes trained to her traveler. There was no telling what Wes and Andros were doing to cover their lighter colored hair, but the majority of them did have dark hair. It was a lot of guesswork to cover the city, and took hours before any of them got anything.

They were starting to give up hope when Laina sent a message out to the other three that they had a lock on Meghan, a faint spike of her signal that had disappeared, but a signal nonetheless. The bad news, it was definitely in the palace. Without speaking, Eric led Rachael toward the massive building, sliding in the back where people were hurriedly going in and out, trying to please the Synod that lived in the towering building. It was like being in the palace on Avalon again, except instead of seeing the magical creatures and folks that happily served Courtney's family; the workers looked terrified, and kept their heads tilted down. If they noticed that Eric and Rachael didn't belong, none mentioned it or called attention to themselves in anyway.

"Eric." Rachael's whisper caught his attention and he looked down at her traveler where a faint signal hovered a few floors below them. "It's her." She looked up at him and it didn't take a half second longer before they were searching for a way to get down to the basement, and whatever was down there. There was a long network of hallways and cells once they got under the building, a terrifying place for anyone, let alone an eight year old. Pulling away from Eric, Rachael started jogging toward the signal, but it was getting fainter as she went, completely losing it at the end. She swore loudly as Eric caught up to her. Busy with the object in her hand, Eric saw them first.

"Chris?" Eric bent down and peered through the dark bars carefully. "Chris is that you?"

"Uncle Eric?" A small voice replied.

"Hang on buddy." Rachael breathed as the two of them went to work on the door, managing to break the lock with the aid of their ranger power and slid it open. Chris was huddled up in the corner, his arm around the back of a girl leaning on him, unconscious.

"They've got Lauren." He said with fearful eyes as Rachael pulled Meghan off of him, holding the girl close.

"Where, Chris?" Eric asked calmly, holding his nephew's arm and helped him to stand.

"The room they always take us to. It's down there." Chris pointed to an adjacent hallway. "Meghan's sick." He looked at her and then back to his uncle.

"Stay with Aunt Rachael." Eric directed and nodded to his wife before sliding down the hallway. Unaided by a traveler, Eric checked every room he passed. But it was the scream that sent him into a sprint and into the room it came from. Fury exploded through him as he saw Lauren huddled in a corner, tears streaming down her face with blood staining her ragged clothes. A man in a mask stood over her, turned as Eric came toward him. "Quantum Power." Eric spat out the words and morphed for the first time in years.

The masked man took the weapon in his hand and tried to fling it at Eric, but he grabbed it and broke it with his hands and flinging it away. Suppressing the urge to murder the son of a bitch, Eric threw him against the wall and opted for scooping up his daughter and running from the room. Whatever stealth or luck they'd managed to get in there was now gone as he'd morphed. Lauren was holding onto him as tight as she could, face buried in his shoulder as she cried.

"Lauren." Rachael came forward as soon as he got to the cell and pulled their daughter into her arms. Lauren gripped her mother as tight as she could, Laina and Leo holding Meghan, Chris gripping onto Wes while Jen watched, Kaitlynn and Andros not there.

"We have to go; we're not going to have time." Eric warned, releasing his morph in front of the children, all secrets abandoned.

"Alright." Wes nodded and stood, bringing Chris with him. Now in a larger group they bypassed any type of secrecy and ran with the kids out of the palace, catching attention from not only that, but the injured man in the basement. Leo passed Meghan to Laina and turned with Eric and Jen to morph and battle those chasing them. Kaitlynn flipped in to help in her green suit as Andros pulled the ship to hover near the palace entrance.

It was surreal to be jetting to KO-35 as fast as possible, Lauren wrapped between them. Chris was sitting with Wes, quietly watching as Andros tried everything to wake up his niece, his sister's daughter. Leo was pale next to Laina, who was trying to comfort him, but didn't have much success as Meghan lay motionless.

"Daddy?" Lauren lifted her tear stained face to look up at her father. "You're power ranger." She accused with a slight smile.

"I am baby." Eric kissed her forehead.

"Cool." Lauren breathed and snuggled into him, burying her face in his shirt. Rachael released the tears from her eyes and just rested her head on her daughter's back, grateful she was there. She was bruised, cut, and bloody, but alive, and there. Tangibly there.

"Meghan?" Leo bolted to the table and touched his daughter's forehead. They could all see the physical change in the girl, but no one had mentioned it, no one dared to. Instead of her normal brown curly hair, strands of her hair had changed from brown to a brilliant apple red. It wasn't shiny anymore, just matted to her head like Lauren's jet black hair and Chris' too long blonde. They were tired and hurt, but alive. And now Meghan was finally starting to stir.

"Papa?" Her voice was weak as she opened her eyes.

"I'm here mi hija." Leo leaned over her and kissed her face over and over, grateful she was awake. "Està bien."

"Estoy bien." Meghan replied and sat herself up on the table, despite her father's hovering. "Estoy bien." She repeated, glaring at him for a moment before reaching over to hug him. "I'm fine." She muttered in English, repeating what she'd just told him in Spanish.

"You should sit still." Leo tried.

"I don't want to sit still." Meghan snapped back and tried to push away from him.

"Too bad." Leo pulled her into his arms and to a chair. The girl reluctantly let him hold her until she fell asleep again. Once they were all cleared to go to bed, Eric and Rachael took Lauren to the room on the MegaShip they'd been given for the night and tucked Lauren between them for the entire night, neither letting go of her, or each other. Wes had Chris with him all night, and Leo never let Meghan out of his sight. From KO-35 they split, Andros taking those Earth bound back and Laina meeting up with Zhane to head to Mirinoi. Chris and Lauren each hugged Meghan good bye, though no words were said between them.

Returning home was hard. Chris and Miranda were instantly back into their sibling relationship through some magical means, even Ashlynn was happy to see her big brother. Jake wasn't old enough to remember Lauren before, and wasn't old enough now to realize she was back. But the biggest surprise came just after Rachael got Lauren and Jake to bed, feeling like her world was as right as it was going to be. The knock on the door was soft, and opened to the last person she ever wanted to see.

"Lieutenant X." Rachael frowned. "Jen's going home tomorrow; she's crashing at Wes' again."

"She's why I'm here, but not for that." X stepped in and pulled a manila envelope out of her pocket and handed it to Rachael.

"What is this?" The older woman scowled and looked into the envelope, gasping at what she saw.

"Yep, birth certificate, social security card, a false history, fake school and work resume that'll stand up against the hardest background checks available in this time." X had her hands stuffed in the pockets of a hoodie. "It's all there."

"You're kidding." Rachael gaped at the documents in her hands. "Why…"

"Why do you think?" X smiled at her widely. "Bronwyn'll send her things when she's got a place to live."

"The clock tower." Rachael grinned. "Perfect."

"Perfect." X repeated. "How is she?" The girl's demeanor changed to uneasiness quickly.

"Sleeping." Rachael couldn't help but smile. "It's so good to have her home."

"I'm sure." X looked at the house and smiled. "I'll let you go hover over her for the night."

"Eric's already on that." Rachael smiled, fully planning on joining him as soon as X was gone.

"Jen's traveler is off so she can't leave." X said. "Though I'm not sure she'll want to."

"Wes'll be confused." Rachael shook her head. "What do I tell her?"

"This is her new position." X shrugged. "She's here to help you, make something up. I don't know, you're the Captain."

"Captain?"

"Congratulations." X handed her a badge with a grin. "Just came down from Logan."

"Wow." Rachael held her new rank with an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Your duties won't change much." X read her face. "You just have more pull with command, you'll have text communication with Supervisor now."

"I won't have to leave my kids more?"

"Nope." X smiled. "If you need help just let me know."

"Thanks." Rachael quirked an eyebrow. "You're making it hard for me to dislike you."

"Go Pens." X grinned as Rachael laughed, stepping out the door and disappearing into the night. Rachael closed the door and threw the envelope on the kitchen table before moving to where Eric was standing in Lauren's room, watching her sleep.

"Who was that?" He asked softly as she came closer, snaking an arm around her waist.

"A Lieutenant." Rachael grinned and pulled him out of the room. "I got promoted."

"Really?" Eric grinned.

"Yep, you're sleeping with a Captain."

"Lucky me." Eric grinned and kissed her deeply. "Really lucky me." He murmured, pulling her for their bedroom. It was easy to follow him this time, easy to fall into bed with her husband, so easy to be in love again.

"I love you." Rachael murmured as they lay in each other's arms. "I haven't said that enough lately." She murmured and snuggled into his arms.

"I love you too." Eric tightened his grip on her. "Things have to get better now."

"I'm on board." Rachael snorted, but a thought had her leaning up on his chest so their eyes could meet. "Jen's staying."

"Really?"

"Wes is sunk." Rachael sighed. "Then things can be fine again."

"I don't think things will ever be fine like they were." He echoed her sigh and touched her face. "Soon they'll be teenagers and we'll be screwed."

"Can you imagine Meghan as a teenager? I'm amazed Leo can handle her now." Rachael snorted. "Not sure I want Lauren friends with her."

"I'm not sure we're going to have a choice." Eric pulled her so she was tucked around him, held together the way they did when they were dating. "How much do phone calls to Mirinoi cost?"

"A lot." Rachael snorted and held back a yawn. "We'll put it on Time Force."

"Good idea." Eric chuckled. Their conversation ended as they drifted to sleep, woken early by a face leaning on their bed. Rachael immediately made sure she was covered, flushing deep crimson.

"Lauren, good morning."

"Jake wants up." Lauren informed her. "And I'm hungry."

"Ok, go get yourself a glass of milk, we'll be right there." She tried and Lauren ran from their room. "Oh God we're going to get caught one of these days."

"Yep." Eric kissed her and slid from the bed, pulling on a pair of jeans and a shirt before going to get Jake out of his crib. Rachael rolled her eyes and threw clothes on herself and joined him, making breakfast for the four of them. It was bliss. They stayed together just the four of them for hours, and when Rachael put Jake down for his nap, Eric and Lauren sat on the couch and watched a hockey game while Rachael went to Wes'.

Jen was sitting at the kitchen table absolutely confused as to what the hell was wrong with her traveler. "It won't work." Rachael informed her from the doorway. Wes was with his three kids in the living room watching the same hockey game, Chris trying to figure out the game and explaining it to Miranda.

"Why not?"

"You've been reassigned." Rachael put the manila envelope on the table and watched Jen open it, and examine her new life. Her former pink ranger's face was stunned at the authenticity and completeness of the documents before her.

"But…"

"You're meant to be here." Rachael grabbed Jen's attention with her words, their eyes meeting. "You know that, I know that, Bronwyn knows that." Confused, Jen looked toward where Wes was reclining with his three children, taking care of all of them, barely watching the hockey game for watching Chris. "I'm not saying you should go attack him." Rachael lowered her voice and took Jen's hand. "He's lonely, and after Chris settling back in here, I suggest you come over on occasion."

"Are you really telling me to seduce your brother?" Jen hissed.

"I would never meddle in my brother's life." Rachael tossed her hair and stood. "You can move into the clock tower whenever." She set a silver key on the table and swept from the room almost as fast as she'd entered. Stunned, Jen picked up the key to her old home. To her new home.

She moved in that night, leaving a confused Wes behind at his house. It was strange to live at the clock tower by herself, but Katie had her two little kids, Tripp and his lovely new wife were enjoying their lives, and Bronwyn and Lucas were attempting to keep up with the lively Ava. Someday they'd all be together in this place again, she knew that for certain. One concern about moving permanently to the past was that she'd be bored, but there was never a dull moment as soon as she moved into the clock tower.

First she had her Time Force duties, which somehow seemed to increase as she was completely in charge of communications between SPD and Time Force, a liaison of sorts. She spent a week straight explaining exactly what had happened on Karsis, and how they may not have had SPD approval, but had Time Force's. That was a messy argument that was barely resolved when the SPD Board of Directors decided to pardon them. That was a fun moment, to learn you were being _pardoned_ for saving the lives of three innocent eight year olds.

Second, Rachael had her working on the clock tower with her, and hanging out with the kids a lot. Chris and Lauren seemed to be adjusting well to being home with one minor mishap. Neither of them would talk about what had happened to them, not even explain how they had long scars covering their backs. Oddly, Lauren's seemed to heal much faster than Chris' did, but they had quite a few of them each, not to mention the odd cuts and bruises. Their parents tried to pry it out of them, and tried their hardest, but their lips were sealed. And from what Rachael could tell from Laina, Leo and Karone had no luck getting Meghan to talk about it either.

Thirdly, Jen was somehow cornered into running "Nick of Time Odd Jobs" from the ground up, a job she started to thoroughly enjoy once SPD calmed down and stopped calling her eighteen times a day. It was nice to live over your job, and she could always take time off to have dinner with Wes or Rachael, sometimes both, and most of the time with all of the children present. And she loved those children. Lauren was a miniature of Rachael, but with Eric's personality in the form of a little girl. Chris was Wes' biggest fan, especially since learning his father had been Time Force red. Miranda didn't care either way about the ranger information, and corned Jen into having tea parties with her on numerous occasions. Even Ashlynn wouldn't sit for those, much preferring to play with the toy horses she'd somehow acquired. Jake was little, and just loved being held, and Jen was all too happy to oblige him, not to mention Rachael appreciated the break.

Ashlynn's second birthday passed with a small family party, no one mentioning the other occasion that happened on that day two years before. Jen wasn't sure how she'd been invited, but being dragged by Rachael was easily the best thing that had happened to her that month. They were all so normal at that moment, like they were a family. But they weren't. She had to remind herself of that as she paced the floor in her clock tower apartment. Rachael and Eric's housewarming gift had been the replacement TV, and Wes had given her a stove. An actual stove. One she used to bake his children so many cookies they were starting to associate them with her.

"Are you alright?" Wes' voice interrupted her reverie, making her stop and look to the doorway. He was dressed in his work clothes, the beret in his hands, but thrown on the picnic table as he came in. "Jen?"

"Yeah." She shook her head and responded. "I was just thinking."

"What about?" Wes inquired with a grin, now pulling off his gloves. Intensely curious as to why he was at her apartment and undressing, Jen tried to respond.

"Ashlynn's birthday." She replied honestly. "It was really nice. I'm glad you let me be a part of it."

"I'm glad you were there." Wes smiled and leaned against the table. "The kids really like you."

"I like them too." She couldn't help but match his smile. He'd always had an infectious smile, and could usually get her to smile, even when she'd been in one of her moods as a ranger.

"I'm glad you're here." His voice was different, stunning her with the way he was looking at her.

"Wes… I…" She tried to speak, but he'd stood up and hand his hands around her in just a few short seconds.

"I have to know…" He murmured and pulled her to him, covering her mouth with his. It didn't take her long to react, sliding her own hands to his neck, holding him to her. This is what she'd wanted for so long, just to kiss him, to have him against her for a moment, for him to be hers.

Why he'd driven to the clock tower right after work to see Jen was insane. Really insane. But she'd been living in Silver Hills for three months. Three months where she'd worked hard for them, played with his children, and spoiled them rotten with cookies. And three weeks ago at Ashlynn's birthday party when she'd looked so at home in his house, he couldn't get the picture out of his head. So he left work a few minutes early and went to see her, wanting to talk. Ok maybe that was a cover for his real motive, but it was impossible to not want to see what it was like to kiss her. Finally kiss her.

It was easily the most amazing kiss he'd experienced in his entire life. Hands down he wanted nothing more than to continue to kiss her, to prolong the feelings he couldn't shake. And she didn't seem too opposed to kissing him back from the way she'd grabbed onto him. This felt right. Scary right. When she finally pulled back to catch her breath, her eyes looked up at him, looking black instead of brown. "Sorry." He murmured.

"Don't be." Jen breathed, neither letting go from the embrace they were entangled in. Unable to resist her, Wes leaned in for another kiss, savoring the taste of her. "Don't stop." Jen mumbled, pressing herself against him. Wes chuckled deeply, obliging her for a few more minutes.

"I have to go home." He murmured against her lips. "The nanny is going to want to leave soon." She opened her eyes again, seeming to realize she'd just practically made out with him. Well, not practically, they had locked lips for a considerable amount of time. "Please don't freak out." He requested as her eyes widened.

"I… it's just that…" Jen sputtered and sighed, relishing how he wasn't letting go. "Are you ok with this?"

"I don't know." Wes replied honestly. "It's hard to move on, but I know I have to. And I want to." He added. "And it's always been you. Not saying I didn't love Courtney, I did, but there's always been something about you." He kissed her again, sliding his hands from her waist. "I want to take you out soon."

"Like a date?" Jen asked as his hand slid down her arm to hold her hand, standing a few feet from her.

"Exactly like a date." Wes grinned. "I'll call you." He promised and released her hand, picking up his things and walking down the stairs. Properly stunned, Jen sat on the couch and stared at the black television screen. Unable to contain her girly side, she slid down low and giggled at the thought of actually going out with Wes, and the fact he'd kissed her.

Wes was having a slight panic attack as he drove home, but suppressed it long enough to take over his children from the nanny. She was with them all day in the summer months, but soon they'd be going to school, and Chris would have to return as well. Wes hadn't made him return to school for the last month after returning home, and Rachael hadn't made Lauren go either, but now it was time for them to start the third grade. Relieving Emma, Wes distracted himself by listening to every detail of Miranda's day as she loved to tell him, Chris interjecting when she got something wrong. Cooking was new since Courtney's death, but he could make some easier meals. And it's not like the kids complained about having macaroni and cheese several nights a week.

"Dad." Chris said after his sister was quiet for a moment. "Why don't we talk to Meghan?"

"She lives really far away." It was hard to explain to an eight year old the delicacies of intergalactic communications, but to be fair the girl was someone he'd been through a traumatic event with. And from what he knew from Rachael, Leo didn't want Meghan anywhere near Earth ever again.

"Oh." Chris looked crestfallen. "I wanted to know if she was ok."

"She's ok." Wes paused his cooking to comfort his son. "I do know that."

"Because you're the red ranger?" Chris' mood perked up instantly, making Wes laugh.

"Right, and so is her Dad, so we can talk sometimes, but mostly in emergencies." Wes explained. "How about you write a letter, and I'll see if Aunt Rachael or Jen can get it to her."

"I like Jen." Miranda announced, deciding she'd been quiet too long. "She makes good cookies."

"Is there anything else you like about her besides the cookies?" Wes asked with amusement as Ashlynn attempted to add her own opinion in, using words only they could understand. "Oh you like her too." He grinned at his kids.

"She's nice." Chris kicked his feet out. "Is she your friend?"

"Yep, like Meghan's your friend." Wes explained, hoping Chris wouldn't ask the 'step-mom' question again. He'd asked it soon after his mother's death, but hadn't since, and it had been two years now. "Do you mind if she comes over sometimes?"

"No." Miranda kicked in again. "She should cook dinner."

"What's wrong with my cooking?" Reminded he _was_ cooking, Wes moved to the stove and managed to prevent the macaroni noodles from completely sticking to the pan. Miranda chose giggling instead of answering, getting her brother to join her, and Ashlynn, despite the two year old not knowing why they were laughing.


	27. Chapter 27

It was a few days before he could figure out a plan to call Jen and set up the date. Namely because he was avoiding having Rachael find out about anything, which meant Eric couldn't know. Which meant he couldn't call her at work, but then he couldn't call her when his children were around. Not that he was hiding from them, just that he didn't want to get their hopes about getting a stepmother up until it was a for sure thing. Or he was sure that he wasn't just lonely and looking for the first woman that would come near him. Jen clearly had feelings for him still, and after kissing her he was pretty sure his feelings weren't totally dead, or at least weren't taking long to revive. But he'd managed to call her and told her he'd pick her up on his day off, bringing Emma in for an extra day, meaning she'd earn overtime.

And it was the best day he'd had in a very long time. They'd just spent it together, hanging out around Silver Hills like they used to, only this time without three other friends or the threat of an attack. They were able to talk without cares, skipping the harder things, preferring the one topic they liked the best. The kids. Jen had a plethora of stories about Ava, and Wes had enough stories about his three kids and Rachael's two to keep them entertained all afternoon. The afternoon they spent lying in the park, just lying there and talking, eating the picnic lunch.

He packed her a picnic lunch. They ate a picnic lunch in the park and just lay on the grass and talked for hours. And he kissed her again. The kissing was easily her favorite part of the day, but all together it was amazing. The afternoon started wear on before they finally had to talk about the things that were more difficult. Lying on the grass together, Jen on her back with Wes on his side, propping his head up with one hand so his head was close to hers, easy access for kissing.

"Do your kids talk about their mom?" Jen asked softly, looking up into those fathomless blue eyes.

"Sometimes." Wes thought. "Not as much as time goes by, I haven't heard Chris mention her since he got back."

"Poor kid." Jen murmured. "He's such a sweetheart."

"Don't tell him that." Wes grinned. "He'd rather be the tough red ranger."

"Like his father." Jen leaned up and kissed him gently, lying back in the soft grass.

"I'd rather he be safe and happy." Wes sighed. "But I think he'll manage to defy me anyway."

"Kids are good at that." She murmured. "What does this mean?" Her voice turned to a whisper as she lifted her left hand where he'd been holding it for quite a while.

"It means I want this to work." He started, sliding his fingers to intertwine with his. "I don't want to rush it; I don't want to hurt you." She leaned back and listened, understanding that he easily had more to lose than she did. "It's not that I don't have feelings for you, it's just I'm not sure what they are."

"I understand." Jen whispered. "Your kids are the most important thing right now. It's confusing."

"Extremely." Wes agreed, leaning in and kissed her again, lingering on her lips for a moment longer than before. It was the best type of strange to be kissing her. Like the almost ten years they'd been apart hadn't happened and they were once again rangers on a day off, but this time they were kissing in the park. And they'd both been married. And he had three children. Three children that meant absolutely everything to him. "I missed you." He looked funny as he spoke. "I didn't realize how much until you showed up on my doorstep."

"I never stopped missing you." Jen admitted softly. "I got married because everyone else did, it was stupid."

"It wasn't stupid." He tried to placate her, but she was being stubborn. "No, really." He pulled her face so she was looking directly at him. "It wasn't the right choice, but you aren't stupid."

"You're being nice." Jen sat up, making him move with her so he could keep eye contact with her, not letting her take her hand from his. "I messed up Wes. I married a guy I barely knew, and I had to arrest him."

"At least you did." Wes muttered. "He could have murdered you."

"He wasn't violent." Jen explained, "Just had a really bad habit. Psychoactives." She shrugged. "Sold them right from our apartment. My apartment." She amended. "Bastard didn't pay for anything."

"He's in jail?"

"For the next five years." Jen pulled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them. "Except now I'm here." She breathed.

"I'm glad you are." Wes murmured, pulling her to him, holding onto her like a child, his head over hers.

"Me too." Jen sighed and snuggled close to him. "I do miss Bronwyn though. We got close. It pissed off my mother." She snorted. "I don't miss her much. Do you wish yours was here?" Jen looked up at him as Wes smiled.

"Definitely, but I have Rachael. I think Eric feels like my father sometimes." Wes laughed, rolling his eyes. "I appreciate her, we help each other."

"Poor Eric." Jen laughed.

"Yep, he's working while I'm kissing a pretty girl." Wes grinned when she looked up, taking the opportunity to kiss her again. She liked it when he did that, and it was starting to become a habit she didn't want to break.

"He gets to kiss your sister." Jen grinned evilly, getting a glare from him.

"I know, stop reminding me."

"They've been married for almost ten years; you should be used to the idea by now." Jen laughed. "I've come to terms with Bronwyn and Lucas."

"She's my little sister, I'll be like this when they've been married for fifty years and Lauren and Jake are bringing home grandchildren." Wes scowled. "If I had it my way they'd sleep in different beds."

"Then Lauren and Jake wouldn't exist." Jen grinned. "And they'd probably be divorced by now."

"Probably." Wes agreed with a sigh. "They got close."

"Was it that bad?" Jen winced. "Rachael said she'd never leave him."

"I think if they hadn't stopped fighting when they did, there would have been a serious problem." Thinking about his sister's marriage falling apart was not a pleasant image. "She stopped visiting us at work, we didn't have dinner together as often, they weren't speaking to each other unless they were arguing."

"I can imagine they're good at that." Jen commented. She knew Eric was good at arguing with people, and if Rachael was anywhere near as stubborn as her brother, they probably had some matches between them.

"I'm entirely sure they weren't talking at all until you showed up."

"That's why X sent me to your place." Jen laughed, remembering that night. "That girl scares me."

"Her name is 'X'?"

"No, we're not supposed to know her name for some strange reason." Jen shrugged. "We know all the other Lieutenant's names, but not hers. She must be from some really random time."

"Or so close it'd mess with things." Wes reasoned, giving Jen something to think about. "X is a weird thing to call her though, isn't there a nickname?"

"Apparently naming her X is also Bronwyn's way of alienating her." Jen laughed at her sister's voracious attitude. "No one's really a fan of hers. She's too weird."

"Sounds like high school." His comment made her laugh, in turn getting him to smile. "I should get home." He murmured, leaning in to kiss her again, this time sliding his hand behind her ear to hold her against him for much longer than before. His words said he wanted to leave, but his body was still pressed against hers.

"You should." Jen agreed, keeping just as close, her lips hovering near his. Experimenting, she skimmed her lips over his, not touching, just hovering so that their breath was mingling. Then she pulled away, watching the confusion in his eyes as she merely grinned and turned on her heel and walked away from him.

"What the hell?" Wes sputtered, stunned as he watched her walk away. She threw him a grin over her shoulder, teasing him. _Teasing him_. Jen was teasing him. _Jen_ was teasing him. "You're going to pay for that." He shouted after her, scooping up the cooler he'd packed the picnic in and running after her. Breaking into a run, Jen made it to the SUV first, getting instantly pinned against it. Without a word, Wes pressed her against it and drove her past any point of reason, his kisses moving from her face to her neck so rapidly her heart was almost instantly in her throat.

"Wes." She breathed. "Stop." Heart beating incessantly against her throat, she stopped him. "Wes." She brought his face to hers, curiosity present in his face. "I can't… I don't want to hurt you." The words sounded odd coming from her. It had felt like she was the one who needed to be protected from him, from getting hurt when he realized he couldn't forget his first wife. But she was terrified too. Terrified she would get scared, or that his kids wouldn't like her, or that he would just kiss her until she was dizzy and then move onto another woman.

"What?" His question was so innocent, deceivingly so.

"Wes I'm still in love with you." Jen gave in, saying the words he probably didn't want to hear.

"Oh." Wes breathed, his face changing.

"It changes things." Jen felt her heart breaking as he pulled back from her.

"It does." He agreed with a slow nod.

"I'm sorry." Jen shook her head. "I should go." She slipped away from where he'd pinned her against the car and tried to leave, but he caught her.

"No. Jen, wait." Wes pulled her over. "You are not leaving me again." His voice was fierce, face angry when she saw him again. "This is faster than I wanted, sure, but it doesn't mean I don't want to not be with you."

"It complicates things. I'm in love and you're not." Jen snapped at him, wrenching her hand from his grasp. He didn't deny it. That was the worst possible reaction he could have had. "I'm leaving, I'll see you later."

"I'm not going to lie to you." His voice was quiet, not as dangerous as before, just soft with hurt. "I was ready to give up on love completely. I was sick of getting hurt, losing my mother, losing you, then Courtney." Wes' face was stiff, unfeeling. "You couldn't help but hurt me when you left, and she didn't choose to die. Life screwed me over a few times, I'm sorry if I'm not ready to leap in again just yet."

Guilt rose in her throat with the bile, her arms falling limply to her sides. "Wes…"

"Get in, I'll take you home." He looked weary now; the young boy that she'd been with all afternoon replaced with the single father that too often didn't relax. She obeyed quietly, sliding into the passenger's seat, neither speaking the entire drive to the clock tower. When he pulled in front of the clock tower he stopped the SUV and shut off the engine, getting out. Jen didn't know what to do when he took her hand and took her inside, bypassing the teenager at the front desk to go up to her apartment.

"I'm sorry." Jen murmured when they got to the top.

"Don't be." Wes sighed deeply and touched her cheek, resting his forehead against hers. "This isn't going to be easy, but I want to try. I can't promise you anything right now."

"Ok." Jen breathed and nodded slowly.

It was the strangest relationship either of them could imagine. They went out once every few weeks, but hardly went a few days without seeing each other for various reasons. They managed to keep their relationship quiet for two weeks before Eric caught on, and he didn't tell Rachael for two more. She was mad at all three of them, but it didn't last when she saw firsthand the way Wes and Jen were reacting around each other. In her eyes it was adorable, and the kids didn't seem to mind Jen being around a lot. Even on Chris and Miranda's birthday, nine and eight respectively, when Chris got the best present he could have asked for.

Rachael had managed to get Laina a letter for Meghan, and the girl had been able to reply, sneaking it around her father to her Aunt. None of them got to read it as Chris snaked it away and hid it in his room, but he did share it with Lauren. But if the kids had noticed Wes and Jen sneaking off on occasion, none of them mentioned it, and none of them asked what was happening. But Wes did take advantage of his sister's support by requesting her help with something, the kids spending the day with Eric and Jen on a fairly warm day in early November.

"Wes?" Rachael called his name as she walked through his front door, an old habit probably, but she liked to announce her presence to avoid surprising him like he did to her. And Eric.

"Upstairs." His reply was muffled, but she heard it, and joined him in his bedroom. He was sitting on the bed, facing the open closet before him. He slowly turned and looked at her. "Hey."

"Hey." Rachael looked to the closet and back to him curiously. "What did you want to do?"

His face was pale, and looked as though he was battling an internal war. "I want," He started but shook his head, "no, it's time; I need to put Courtney's things away. I didn't want to do it alone."

"Ok." Rachael sat on the bed next to him, looking at the few dresses hanging next to her shirts, piles of jeans on a shelf, completely untouched. Wes heaved himself up and grabbed a box and slowly began putting her clothes into it. "Give the dresses to the girls." Rachael suggested as she stood. "Ashlynn would play dress up with Miranda, right?"

"Sure." Wes nodded. "Put them in a plastic bin, the cardboard boxes I'm going to give to the Women's shelter."

"Are you sure?" Rachael touched his arm and he sighed.

"It's been two and a half years; I'm ready to move on." His blue eyes were sadder than she could ever remember. "She'd want her clothes used anyway."

"She would." Rachael agreed and pulled the few dresses Courtney had and folded them carefully, placing them in the plastic tub Wes had provided. Her clothes weren't fancy, but they were well made, as most of them had come from Avalon, where there were tailors who tired endlessly to create pieces of clothing for the royal family. The colors were so bright and vibrant it was impossible to not remember Courtney's bright personality, a much better picture than the last few hours of her life.

"What should I do with these?" Wes picked up pairs of shoes.

"Give the heels to the girls, and toss the sneakers." Rachael suggested. "That newer pair of sneakers can go to the shelter though."

"Do girls really wear these heels? They're so big." Wes held a pair of black velvet pumps in his hand, not even vaguely remembering Courtney ever wearing these. Then again he wasn't ever really focused on her feet most of the time.

"Heck yes." Rachael grabbed a pair of silver sandals from next to him. "I used to walk around in Mom's all the time; they were way too big for me." She laughed. "I've caught Lauren in mine, but she'll never admit to you."

"She's trying really hard to be a tomboy." Wes commented and Rachael nodded, laughing more. "Alright, heels to the girls." He unceremoniously tossed the shoes into the bucket, feeling better with each thing he moved. Courtney hadn't brought many things into their home, but they'd made it a home together if they'd realized that or not. She picked half the colors they'd painted on the walls, and helped him find furniture while they were still dating, before their surprise marriage and baby.

Rachael packed up the rest of the clothes and started rearranging Wes' things back in the closet, not realizing he was sitting on the bed. Looking back at him he had a box in his hands, a rather large one with all of its compartments open. Curious to see what he was doing, she sat next to him on the bed, gasping at the sheer amount of jewelry before her. Wes chuckled at her reaction and pulled a ring from where it had been lovingly placed. "Her engagement ring." Rachael murmured, taking it and holding it up to the light. Worn for only seven years, the ring was still shining brightly in the sunlight, the purple sapphire still clear between the diamonds.

"I think I'll give it to Chris." Wes said softly. "For when he's in love."

"I think he'll like that." Rachael rested her head on his shoulder.

"The rest will eventually be Miranda and Ashlynn's." He sighed and started closing all of the compartments, sheathing the gold, silver, and gems away, using a little key to lock it. He carried it to the closet and pushed it onto the top shelf. He went to the bedside table and pulled out a black velvet box and put Courtney's ring in it, adding his own wedding ring to it and putting the box back in the drawer with three pieces of paper Rachael could only get a glance at. Three sonograms, all worn from their father inspecting and examining the lives he'd created.

"How do you feel?" Rachael murmured, still sitting on his bed.

"Pretty good actually." Wes looked around the room that was now so clearly his.

"Can I ask?" The mischievous look on his sister's face had him rolling his eyes and collapsing on the bed, lying on his back so she could look down at him with a grin. "Ok that's a yes, how are things with Jen?"

"They're good." Wes stared at the ceiling. "I didn't think this would ever happen."

"Dating Jen, or dating at all?"

"Either, but mostly the first. Being able to be with her feels dangerous, like I'm going to lose her." It was really easy to talk to Rachael, even if he knew Eric was going to find out exactly everything he said later. But Eric never mentioned anything, which made for a relatively normal work experience, especially since they were spending more and more time at headquarters with the younger officers doing most of the fighting.

"I don't blame you." Rachael gathered her legs up and hugged them. "I'd be terrified; hell I'm still terrified of Eric sometimes. You know how my love life went, and then falling in love so suddenly with him was just terrifying. I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes and he's sleeping next to me and it's like I'm doing a double take at how my life turned out. I never thought I'd get married."

"Never?"

"Never." She repeated, lapsing into silence with her brother, the two of them just sitting there. Wes could never have imagined Rachael felt that way about marriage. Her relationship with Eric had been intense from the start, but had not faded, but warmed when the chemistry became love and respect. He and Courtney had started slow, working him away from his feelings for Jen, and now he was trying to do the opposite, work through the guilt of moving on from Courtney, back to Jen.

"What do you think they'd say if Jen came and lived here?"

"Are you thinking about that?" Rachael had whipped her head to him, eyes frozen.

"Long term yes, but I'd marry her first." Wes looked over at his sister, a slight smile on his face.

"I'd tell them you're dating her first." Rachael quirked an eyebrow. "Get them used to that and solve issues there before you bring her here to live."

"They already like her." He leaned back, staring at the ceiling again. "Chris asked about a stepmom the day after losing his mom, so the idea isn't foreign to them. It's not important now; I'm taking this really slow."

"Don't go too slow." Rachael eyed him as he sat up and leaned against the backboard of the bed. "You are human."

"Are you telling me to get laid?" Wes raised his eyebrows.

"Yes." Rachael answered bluntly. "Don't be afraid to fall in love with her, just leap." She slid off the bed and kissed his forehead. "Let me know when you want the sleepover."

"I don't want to announce it to you." Wes shouted at her as she left, hearing her laughing as she descended the stairs and was out of sight. The last thing his family needed was for him to be more like Rachael, completely unashamed of having sex, or mentioning it. If he was going to try to seduce Jen, he wasn't going to announce it to his sister or her husband, who happened to be his best friend. So he would hire Emma for the night. Paying her overtime was killing his savings, but if things went the way he wanted, he wouldn't need her much longer.

But he kept missing opportunities. Thanksgiving came and went; ushering a month of Christmas shopping that Jen was able to help him with, and then they stashed the gifts at the clock tower to keep the children from finding them until Christmas morning. Christmas morning was a flurry of activity with the three kids tearing into the presents and running around excitedly, almost not even listening to Wes as he dressed them and got them to the mansion for the afternoon. Chris and Lauren compared their toys and ran off to play immediately, Miranda following to try and catch up like usual. Jake was walking now, and intent to get into everything, keeping Eric or Rachael extremely busy. This time it was Rachael who didn't mind when Ashlynn came over to play with Jake, making it so the two of them were sitting in the floor.

Which gave Wes the excuse to slip into the kitchen and greet his girlfriend with a kiss. "Merry Christmas." He murmured as she smiled.

"Merry Christmas." Jen replied, enjoying the surreal feeling of being in a house full of children on Christmas. "How did they like the stuff we got them?"

"Santa gets an A+ this year." Wes chuckled and leaned over her to see what she was doing at the counter. "Are you making pie? I don't think they'll appreciate not having cookies."

"I made cookies last night." Jen laughed as he put his hands on her hips, holding her against him. "They're on the table."

"Phew." Wes grinned and kissed her cheek. "What do you want for Christmas?" She leaned against his chest for a moment, just looking up.

"I've got it." She smiled and leaned forward again, getting back to the pie filling she was making and poured it into the waiting shell. Wes didn't move from behind her, but he also wasn't saying anything as she finished the pie and put it near the preheating oven. "You ok?" She asked after a while.

"Yes." He didn't look entirely convinced. "Do you want your own kids?"

The question came from nowhere, flooring her. Her mouth dropped open and she blinked a few times. "I hadn't thought about it." That was honest; she'd accepted for so long that she wouldn't have her own children that the thought of having one now was almost ludicrous. "Why?"

"I don't know." That was honest too. He had no idea why that had popped into his head at that particular moment. "Forget I said it."

"No." Jen frowned at him, stepping away and putting her hands on her hips. "Do you want more kids?"

"Not by myself." He shook his head, watching her reaction slowly. "But I'm not opposed to the idea." Why in the hell had he brought this up, they hadn't even slept together and he'd mentioned children. "Look, I got ahead of myself." He stepped forward and pulled her to him. "We'll talk about it later."

"Will there be a later?" Jen asked softly.

"God I hope so." Words died on her lips as he kissed her again. They'd kissed many times before, and all kinds of kissing, but this. This was different, this time it was as if the emotions were transferring from him to her and back through one of the most physically chaste kisses she'd ever experienced.

"Merry Christmas." A deep voice rumbled from the doorway, breaking them apart. Wes grinned at her embarrassment before turning.

"Merry Christmas Dad." He greeted, stepping over to take the box in his hands. "You shouldn't have, they're already spoiled rotten."

"I didn't." Alan chuckled.

"I did." Arianna appeared from behind him in the doorway. "Merry Christmas." She greeted and gave him a hug. "Who is this?" Her eyes glittered knowingly.

"Dad, you remember Jen." Wes pulled her over.

"I do." Recognition of the girl had him stunned; she was supposed to be a thousand years in the future. "Merry Christmas." He gave her a light hug.

"Merry Christmas." Jen managed, getting over getting caught kissing Wes. "I just moved back to town." She explained carefully, not knowing if Arianna knew anything about Time Force. "I've been running Nick of Time."

"Oh that's wonderful." Arianna smiled and took her arm, leading her to the living room. "Make us some coffee, will you?" She threw the look back at her husband and his son as she stole Jen away. Alan shook his head and turned to his son, shrugging before making a pot of coffee.

"How's Boston?" Wes asked, leaning his back against the counter.

"Cold." Alan replied as he got out several mugs for the coffee. "I've got someone to keep me warm though. Looks like you do too."

"I wondered how long it'd take until you mentioned it." Shaking his head at his father, Wes sighed. "We're taking it slow."

"That kiss didn't look slow to me." Disbelief was the primary emotion on Alan's face. "You're in love with her."

"I know." And he did. He'd figured it out the moment he'd kissed her a few minutes ago, and so felt right with her. Courtney hadn't even crossed his mind since he'd been with Jen in the kitchen, and the guilt he usually felt about kissing Jen was gone. Being in love again was strange, good strange.

"Wes?" Alan called him back to reality. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm in love." The younger man grinned, unable to contain it. "Oh God this is weird."

"It's ok." A cup of coffee made its way into his hands. "You'll get used to it eventually."

"Are you used to with Arianna?"

"No." They laughed together. "But it does get easier. I'll always love your mother, and I do miss her at certain times, especially when you and Rachael had your children. It's not wrong to love her, she mothered your children, was your wife for seven years. It becomes a different kind of love, and it's important to respect that."

"How long was Arianna widowed before you and she started dating?" Wes sipped his coffee. "You had twenty years."

"It was about a year." Alan thought. "Maybe a little less, but it was different. George was as much of a bastard as anyone; she stayed with him for his appearance. You and Courtney were happy, and could have stayed happy for a long time."

"What do you think Arwyn will say?" It was hard to not be absolutely terrified of his former mother-in-law, the woman was imposing. Not to mention she was the reigning monarch of a community that had mourned their princess for a long time.

"Arwyn is more rational than you think."

"She wasn't when Courtney was pregnant with Chris." That still hurt a bit, she had apologized for it, and things had been fine, but their relationship was always at a type of brick wall because of it. It hadn't helped that Courtney was bound and determined to keep her mother away from controlling her life anymore.

"She was trying to protect her family. I'd have killed Eric if Rachael had gotten pregnant before they were married." Alan grinned almost evilly. Wes laughed at that admission, but knew he'd feel exactly the same way, especially with how angry he'd been about their relationship to start. "Imagine Miranda got pregnant."

"I'd kill him." The answer was instinctual. "Courtney wouldn't have, even if we hadn't had that issue with Chris. It's a father reflex to want to kill him."

"Arwyn lost her husband a long time ago; she's had to be both mother and father for her children for years. Not to mention ruling her people as fairly as she can."

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty? Because it's working." Wes grumbled, "I should go see her. Without the kids." He clarified with a sigh. "Thanks Dad." He picked up a second mug and went for the living room, happy to see Rachael was with Jen and Arianna, the leaving Eric to watch the two toddlers, something Wes was entirely sure he enjoyed more than talking. Christmas proceeded as usual from there, the only real difference being that Wes had his arm around Jen's shoulders as they relaxed in the later hours of the night.

He didn't think anything of it until he was putting his kids to bed. Chris climbed up into his bed, and at nine refused to let his father tuck him in, but let him visit to say good night. "Is Jen going to be my new mom?" His question should have been expected, but Wes still felt his heart sputter.

"Not sure yet." He answered honestly, sitting on the edge of his son's bed. "Would you mind if she was?"

"No." Chris looked unconvinced even as he spoke. "I miss Mom."

"I miss her too." Wes sighed. "I'll always love your Mom, and I'll always love you, you know that right?" He asked, getting the slowest nod he'd ever seen. "It's not going to happen soon, we'll talk more, ok?"

"Ok." Chris nodded and Wes grabbed him, pulling him into a hug as the nine year old laughed.


	28. Chapter 28

The year finished without any events, and the new year came in with Wes and Jen tackling having all five of the kids around so Eric and Rachael could celebrate their anniversary with a short overnight trip down to Anaheim for a hockey game, just the two of them. It was a stretch to say the least, but they had fun with all of them together, Jen passing out on the couch and not waking up until morning, once again woken by the kids, this time all five of them surrounding her. She happily made them breakfast until Wes got up, found her in his kitchen, the three kids excited to be having pancakes instead of cereal, and he fell a little more in love with her.

Enlisting Eric and Rachael's help, he started taking her out more, and going out with his kids. Jen made an instant friend with Chris when she asked him to explain hockey to her, and spent several different nights being told everything to do with the players, rules, and fine details of the game. And she seemed to like it, getting the hang of things and cheering for the team Chris had decided to root for with approval from Aunt Rachael, the Penguins.

She loved those kids. Loved them almost as much as their father, and wanted nothing more than being with them for the rest of her life. Even if Wes didn't want to marry her, she wanted his kids to know she loved them. He was waiting for something, she had absolutely no idea what, but this was easily the longest sexless relationship she'd ever been in, and ever really wanted to stay in. Things had gotten heated between them, sure, but they were either short on time, or privacy. Mostly privacy as his three kids were rowdy and rambunctious and Ashlynn had decided she wanted nothing less than to be at Jen's side whenever she could. And she felt the same, even on a rare evening she was by herself in the clock tower apartment she wanted to be with the little almost three year old.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Don't you have children?" Jen grinned as Wes came through the room, chuckling.

"Emma's got them." He explained as he came over. "What do you say to some pizza for old time's sake?" He picked up her phone and ordered it, getting it delivered a luxury they never could afford when they'd lived there together. "I miss living here." He commented as they ate, looking up at the tall ceiling. "If we could, I'd move my kids in here."

"I'm not sure they'd like not having their own rooms." Jen grinned. "And you'd never have your own room."

"That would be a problem." Expecting a grin, Jen was surprised to see him looking at her thoughtfully.

"Why?" Jen challenged him, leaning on the picnic table.

"Because there are some things I'd like to do to you that no one should see." He replied as he stood, taking the rest of the pizza to the small kitchen area.

"Why haven't you?" Jen stood, standing across from him with her arms crossed.

"I wanted to be sure." Wes answered, standing two feet from her.

"Sure of what?" She felt anger rising.

"That I'm in love with you." Anger vanished as her heart stopped. "It started on Christmas." He stepped closer and took her arm. "No it didn't, but that's when I figured it out."

"It's April."

"I know." He murmured and closed the space between them. Why had he waited this long since Christmas? It had been four months, and as he now kissed her, he shouldn't have waited. His hands slid to her waist and pulled up her shirt, moving over her lower back and stomach. It had been a long time since he'd been with a woman, and the soft skin at her waist was torturing him. And however good he'd become at not giving into the torment, that was all gone now. "Ready?" He murmured the word against her lips. She couldn't answer, just pushed against him, pressing her body against the crook of his.

Sold, he easily scooped her up and carried her to the fairly large bed Rachael had set up in the corner. They hadn't had real beds the year they'd lived here, but now he was entirely grateful that it was there. And unmade. He laid her on her back in the middle of the bed and climbed over her, kissing at her neck and chest. The soft noises she made under him were maddening, literally driving him onto her. It wasn't clear when she lost her shirt, but the feeling of him all over her bare neck and chest lost her to reality. They tangled together easily, so much emotion being transferred between them it was hard for either to catch their breaths, but it wasn't like either wanted to. It was hours before she opened her eyes and found him wrapped around her, eyes closed and the most relaxed she'd seen him in a very long time.

Enjoying the peace, she leaned against his still fairly muscular chest, laying a hand over his heart. His skin was warm, and damp from their lovemaking. Lovemaking. The word brought a smile to her face. It wasn't just sex between them, it meant something. It meant everything. This was it. For her, for him, this was it. "I love you." She murmured softly, not expecting him to shift around her and pull her closer and kiss her forehead.

"I didn't think I would love again." He opened his blurred blue eyes and looked down into hers. "Thank you."

"I did my best to seduce you." She kept her face straight as he laughed.

"God I don't know how to take it when you joke." Wes mumbled and rolled over her, pinning her onto the bed. Jen giggled under the weight of him. She actually _giggled_. Her hands ran up his chest and rested on his shoulders.

"Get used to it." She muttered.

"I plan on it." Wes grinned and kissed her again, moving slower this time, savoring her taste, the way she felt under him. It was a scene to be repeated all night, and Jen woke with the sun as usual, the only difference being the warm body in her bed. It was hard to keep a straight face to see Wes completely unconscious next to her for the second time, his arm flung carelessly over her stomach. She started to slide her legs over the edge of the bed, but was grabbed and pulled back. "Not so fast." His voice was rough from sleep as he gathered her close.

"It's time to get up."

"It's time to get up." He mocked her voice and covered her mouth before she could protest. "I'm teaching you how to sleep in." He explained with a grin. "Spend the day in bed."

"Not going to happen." Jen laid an earth shattering kiss on him before slipping from his grasp. They compromised, having Jen make the coffee, then giving Wes all of her attention until it was ready, barely noticing that he'd had to turn it on after they'd finished. She'd barely managed to get her clothes on before he practically took them off again. "Remind me," Jen breathed as he busied himself with her neck, "Why we waited so long?"

"Because I love you." He reasoned without even bothering to look up at her, still working on her neck.

"Wes." Jen laughed and pulled his face to hers. "You should go home."

"I know." He admitted and kissed her lips gently. "Come over for dinner, Miranda requests something other than macaroni." He looked a little insulted as he spoke, making Jen laugh.

"Your macaroni is good." She placated him. "Just not four times a week."

"Give me a break, I'm not a cook." He scowled, earning a kiss.

"I take it Courtney cooked." Jen was smiling, an oddity in his mind as his girlfriend mentioned his wife. "I'm not opposed to talking about her; she was a part of your life, now I am."

"It's hard to get used to." He admitted. "Yeah she cooked, not as good as Rachael, but she tried, got better as the years went. And hey, your cookies are good now." Jen swatted at his arm, pleased that she actually got him despite trying to dodge the hit.

"Fine, you're not allowed to eat whatever I make for dinner." Jen defended; pleased she actually had the skill to back up her words. Cooking had become a hobby in the last few years she'd been in the future. Sure she spent a lot of time with Bronwyn, Lucas and little Ava, but she felt her presence was wearing on them sometimes, and she didn't want that. So she went out on dates until realizing nothing would ever compare to Wes. Then she'd tried cooking, and worked that cookie recipe until it was perfect.

"I'll behave." Mischief still glittered in his baby blues, but she let it go, too happy right now. "For now." He amended and kissed her again. "Come over around five." He slipped away from her, looking back with a grin before he descended the stairs.

"Bye." She murmured, relishing how she felt in the wake of his presence. She missed him instantly, but it was a good kind of missing, the kind that she knew would be fulfilled later when she cooked dinner for those three children she loved so much.

But Wes didn't go home. Emma knew he was going to be gone all night, and also that he wouldn't be back until the next morning because she thought he'd be out of town. Which technically he was going to be. He always felt it was strange to drive to Briarwood without Courtney sitting next to him, even stranger this time without any of their children in the car. And it was especially strange to be in Briarwood alone, and heading into the record store Nick and Davina managed. She was bent over the counter as he came in.

"Davina." He said her name, grinning when she jerked her head up.

"Wes." She moved to hug him quickly, her curls wild around her head. "It's good to see you."

"Nice to see a pair of purple eyes that don't require me to feed them." Wes grinned, keeping an arm around his former sister-in-law. "How've you been?"

"Great." Davina grinned. "Kaity's pregnant again."

"Just what we need in this world, more purple eyed babies."

"Hey, you produced three, yourself." Davina hit his chest and pulled away from him. "So what's got you here, looking for some tunes?" They both knew her question was silly, but why he was there was curious.

"You know I loved Courtney." His demeanor changed to somber quickly. Davina matched him and frowned.

"Of course. I was jealous of how much you loved her." She admitted with a light smile. "I wanted that for myself."

"You've got it." Wes grinned as she looked just as happy. Kaitlynn and Davina had been fifteen when he and Courtney married, and now they were in their early twenties, married, and each had a set of twins. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for whatever reaction she was going to give him. "I've been seeing someone."

"How long?" Davina's face was careful, the years of royal training shining through when she needed them to.

"Since September."

"Oh." Davina's shoulders relaxed. "Oh Wes that's good." She smiled brightly. "You waited for two years before even dating anyone; you deserve to be happy too."

"You sure?" He felt like he was getting off too easy. "Because I'm not entirely sure your mother will agree with you."

"If she doesn't, she'll have me to face." Davina rolled her eyes. "Courtney would want you to be happy. She wouldn't want her children to be motherless. Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, just get me there." Wes sighed. "I have to face her."

"Grandbabies have softened her." Davina smiled. "She's got mine today; I'll use this as an excuse to see them." She found someone to take her position for a few hours and took Wes to the palace through that tree system. He still hated the damn trees, and grumbled about it as he stood up and dusted off his pants. "Sorry."

"Put in a road, will you?" He requested with a weak smile. Davina laughed and walked up to the palace with him in tow, going into the family rooms and opening the door to see the two year old twins on the floor with their grandmother who happily played with whatever toys they wanted. "Mère you have a visitor." Davina said it softly. Arwyn turned, the smile on her face not fading as she saw him.

"Wes, what a wonderful surprise." She smiled and stood, Davina taking over her own children so they could speak. "I was just going to inquire about seeing the children soon."

"Sure, let me know." Wes nodded. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Anything." Arwyn began walking the halls next to him, a sweater wrapped around her.

"I wanted to talk to you about Courtney." He started slowly. "And when you gave us that choice."

"I shouldn't have done that, I apologized for that." Arwyn narrowed her eyes defensively.

"I know, but I didn't forgive you." Wes didn't look at her as he spoke. "Then my Dad and I were talking, and he said if anyone had knocked up Rachael he'd have done the same thing. And asked what I'd do if Miranda was in that predicament." Arwyn turned with wide eyes. "I'd kill him."

"I don't blame you."

"That's it though." Wes stopped and they faced another. "You were doing what you thought you had to, to protect your family. To protect your daughter. I can't blame you for that."

"Thank you." Arwyn said softly, puzzled as to why he'd come all the way there to forgive her for something she'd thought had be put to rest.

"I wanted to tell you that I've been seeing someone." Wes said the words confidently, already past his dry run with Davina in the shop, he was sure she couldn't blame him now. "It's getting serious."

"How long?" The same question from the daughter came from the mother, which was just angering.

"I knew her before I met Courtney, but we didn't have anything until this September." He explained the full truth of it. "It'll be a while before I'll approach the kids about it."

"Invite us to the wedding."

He stared at her. Wedding? He hadn't really thought much about marrying Jen just yet, he'd been so focused on everything else that he wasn't thinking about that. Sure he'd had the errant daydream about marrying her, and seeing her with his children only reinforced that, but nothing was for certain. Now she was smiling at him. What the hell was going on.

"Wes, you can't possibly think I wouldn't want you to be happy." Arwyn moved for a nearby bench and set herself down, waving him to sit next to her. "Courtney loved you, and I know you loved her. Watching you grieve for that week told me that with horrible certainty. I wish to God I'd believed that sooner. I know my daughter and I didn't always see eye to eye, but I do know that she would want you happy."

"Thank you." Wes sighed. "But there won't be a wedding for a while. I haven't exactly told the kids Jen and I are dating. She's just a friend. Chris saw us sitting together and asked if she was his stepmom, second time he's asked that."

"He's a smart child, and Mira will understand too." Arwyn smiled. "Ashlynn won't understand either way. Besides, I can see it."

"See what?"

"You're in love." Arwyn smiled. "I haven't seen you like this in almost three years, it's time."

"I appreciate your support." Wes smiled and stood. "I need to get back to them, explain a few things." Arwyn stood and hugged him lightly, backing up. The drive back to Silver Hills left him light hearted, almost excited for the rest of his life. He made it back just before Emma left, and just as Jen pulled in the driveway. She looked confused as to where he'd been in civilian clothing, but he offered no explanation as they went inside. Dinner was, again, delicious, but the real rest was afterward when they were still at the table and Wes explained to his three kids, mostly the older two, that he and Jen were dating.

That surprised her more than anything, and had her leaning back in her seat while Miranda and Chris asked a hundred questions, starting with if she'd be their stepmom and ranging to if she was going to leave too. Wes handled them carefully, not getting their hopes up too high, and keeping them ground in reality, reminding them that their Mom hadn't wanted to leave them. They took it well, very well, especially placated by the promise of cookies in the future.

"That went well." Wes leaned back in his chair and breathed a large sigh of relief. Jen raised her eyebrows at him, the children up in their rooms playing before they had to get to bed. "Today as gone well."

"What did you do today?" Jen rotated in her chair so her back was against the table, looking at him curiously.

"I went to see Courtney's mother." Wes looked at her. "She and I never got along when Courtney was alive; things got a little better after. I wanted to tell her about you in person, try and erase some of the bad blood between us."

"You told your ex mother-in-law about me." It was the oddest feeling to not feel weird about that comment.

"The first question from both of them was 'how long'." She saw the anger rise in his face. "Like I started seeing you the moment Courtney died."

"Wes." Jen took his hand. "You get irrational when someone you love dies."

"I know. I know." He repeated. "I'm trying to move on with my life, trying to be happy again, and I still feel like I have to appease them."

"You don't, but it's something they should be grateful for that you do." His hand tightened on hers as she comforted him. "They really don't have any say in your life, you could cut them out completely if you wanted to, but you didn't."

"Thank you." He leaned forward and kissed her lightly. "I swear you can read my mind sometimes."

"Rachael taught me well." Jen grinned when he groaned.

"I already have a sister, I don't need two." He kissed her to prove his point, surprising her with the quick intensity.

"Uh, Dad?" Chris' voice pulled them apart, Jen turning away, face flushed that Chris had caught them so quickly. Wes braved looking at his son, unable to speak at the grin on his son's face. "We're going to use the computer ok?"

"Ok." Wes nodded and Chris kept grinning, looking between his father and Jen before running from the room. "We're in trouble."

"He look upset?" Terrified that she was going to hurt the kids, she frowned when Wes grinned.

"He had the biggest grin on his face I've ever seen." Wes kissed her forehead. "He's excited about this."

"Me too." She managed to speak before her pocket rang. Annoyed, Wes kissed her before getting up and clearing the table of the dishes and throwing them into the sink while she answered her traveler. "It's Rachael." Jen stood and sighed. "She's got information, Eric's bringing Lauren and Jake over, informal Lieutenant meeting at their house."

"Have fun." He kissed her good bye before she went into the other room and heard a few voices protest her leaving before Ashlynn raced into the room and attached herself to his leg. "What's wrong baby?"

"Mommy's leaving." She sobbed, burying her face in his leg.

"Ashes." Wes scooped her up and held the three year old so her face was near his, her little hands rubbing away the tears. "Jen's not leaving forever, she'll be back." She didn't look entirely convinced, but nodded. "How about we go see what Chris and Mira are doing on the computer?" He carried her into the other room, praying all was right at Rachael's.

Jen arrived to a myriad of cars in Rachael's driveway, and went inside to see several women sitting around Rachael's living room, only one Lieutenant currently withstanding. "Bronwyn." Jen murmured and her sister stood, throwing her arms around her. "I actually missed you."

"And I missed you interfering with my life too." Bronwyn laughed. "Though I think I miss the cookies more."

"I want cookies." Kaitlynn perked up from her seat.

"Down girl." Kaida laughed from beside her.

"I can't help the kid gives me cravings." Kaitlynn laid a protective hand on her flat stomach where her baby was growing.

"Try." Laina suggested, throwing her a bottle of water. "Is X coming?" She turned her head to Rachael who shrugged. "What does that mean?"

"It means we don't know what time she's from, it's hard to tell exactly what's going on in her time." The black haired woman explained as she moved the remnants of her family's dinner away from the kitchen table. "I left a message for her with Supervisor, but to be fair this is the first time we've all been together in our own time."

"Not a fan." Kaitlynn muttered darkly. "I'm the youngest."

"Deal with it." Rachael laughed.

"Wes went to see my mother today." Kaitlynn switched topics instantly and looked right to Jen who froze. "You and him are serious?" The room full of women was deadly silent. They knew Courtney was Kaitylnn's sister, and had married Rachael's brother, and had all been present for the funeral. The information they hadn't been aware of was Wes' new relationship with Jen.

"Yes." Jen nodded slowly, relaxing when a huge grin appeared on her face.

"Good. We're all rooting for you two." Kaitlynn happily sipped her water, entirely aware she'd disrupted the entire room. "Don't get me wrong, I miss my sister, but Wes and the kids deserve to be happy, and I like you."

"Thanks." Jen smiled and sat down as someone knocked on the door.

"If I ignore it, do you think she'll leave?" Rachael asked quietly, frowning when the door opened and closed, Lieutenant X coming in.

"Heard that." She muttered, but they were looking at her clothes. She was dressed to the nines in a emerald green knee length dress. Her hair was piled on top of her head in rich brown curls that looked strangely discolored. "Not a word about the dress." X warned them, removing her heels and throwing them to the floor, placing herself on the edge of the couch.

"I can't not ask." Aria leaned forward. "Where were you?"

"Wedding." She replied with the single word, pulling a blanket that had been draped over the edge of the couch over her bare legs to cover them. "I was a bridesmaid." She admitted.

"Cute." Kaitlynn commented. "We're all here Captain." The last of them sat on their seats, pulling chairs up from the table to create a circle.

"Technically we're missing an alternate, but she can't make it." X added with an evil grin.

"If she's anything like you, we're good." Aria laughed with the others as Bronwyn set up a tablet.

"Ok now." She sat cross legged on the floor in the middle of their circle. "This is an informal meeting; hence we aren't at Time Force, where I'm just going to show you what we've figured out about the abduction." She glanced to Rachael who instantly frowned, feeling Jen tense beside her. Starting with the abduction itself in Silver Hills."

"The Vakor's." Rachael offered.

"Speculation until now, but yes." Bronwyn wanted to frown at her friend, but it was too hard to be mad when a specific family had targeted her specifically for the last dozen years. "The original plan was to take Chris and Lauren only and torment you for a while with their disappearance and then return them. Dead."

"Oh God." Rachael buried her face in her hands, irrationally upset about what might have happened to her daughter.

"But they got a better offer." Bronwyn continued. "Meghan being brought with them was an accident, a happy one for them. They were approached by a member of the Karsian Synod who bought the three of them from the Vakor family for a considerable amount of money. Money they are currently using to rebuild their traveling abilities that Time Force has taken from them a hundred times by now." It was impossible to not be bitter when it came to these mutants that were good at ruining lives, and better at avoiding getting caught.

"Meghan didn't have to be a part of this?" Laina swore for her niece.

"The Karsians would have gotten her anyway." X added, facing Laina. "They wanted the three of them, buying them from the Vakor's was a happy accident."

"True." Bronwyn agreed, entirely unsure how X knew half the things she did. "They wanted them because their power levels were so high."

"We knew that." Rachael snapped.

"It was a guess, wrong for the Vakor's, right for the Karsians." Bronwyn explained. "How is Karsis dealing with the rescue?" She looked up at her sister.

"Badly." Jen sighed. "SPD is working to create a diplomatic pact with them, but Karsis is stalling, their diplomats spend a few hours at Alpha Base before getting insulted somehow and leaving. They demand compensation and payment for what occurred, even though nothing was damaged in the escape."

"Except that guy's face." Rachael grinned.

"Well yeah." Jen couldn't help but agree. "But their demands are ridiculous, they submit their terms, SPD rejects them, put on repeat."

"They're stalling." Aria frowned. "Realistically they don't want peace, they want revenge."

"That's my thought." Bronwyn agreed. "I can't access that part of history, the database won't open yet."

"You can't get everything?" Kaitlynn asked with surprise. "Why not?"

"If it'll change the course of your lives, I can't change it." Bronwyn shook her head.

"Working for Time Force already changes things." Kaida frowned. "You're defeating the purpose."

"Ransik changed things." Bronwyn shook her head. "His being here completely altered history, and we hired you to fix the little things, or the big things, to put it back on course. That's why you do those little things sometimes, you're fixing history."

"Do you know the alternate outcomes?" Rachael asked with a strange look on her face.

"We have a software program that can predict different outcomes, I use it sometimes."

"Thing's creepy." X muttered, sinking lower in her seat.

"Just because you don't like your alternate timelines." Bronwyn shot back with a grin.

"Yeah well they're creepy." X pouted again. "I don't like seeing myself do things I wouldn't do."

"But you would, that's the point." Bronwyn rolled her eyes. "Stop being a nuisance." She reprimanded and refocused on the tablet in front of her. "Main point being…"

"They aren't safe." Rachael sighed.

"Do not tell Leo." Laina sighed. "He's already never letting Meghan out of his sight. She hates it."

"That won't work." Rachael frowned. "It'll just push her away."

"I'm living proof." Kaitlynn offered. "First chance the four of us got, we were out of there."

"I try to tell him that, but won't listen." Laina looked upset. "He's stubborn as hell, but she'll beat him any day."

"I'll say." A voice from the door had them all looking up and behind them.


	29. Chapter 29

It was Rachael. At least it looked like Rachael, but it wasn't Rachael, because Rachael was sitting with them. She looked like Rachael but younger, and was wearing the same green dress as Lieutenant X.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Bronwyn snapped.

"Oh calm down." The other Rachael waved her hand and looked right at the older one sitting on the couch. "Supervisor agreed I should be here as an alternate Lieutenant."

"Lauren Myers." X murmured with a grin and stood up. "You suck." She stepped past her and went to the kitchen.

"Yeah shut up Meghan." Lauren rolled her eyes at her friend walking behind her. She looked at her mother and smiled. "Hey Mom."

"Hi." Rachael breathed, staring into the face of her adult daughter. "What…"

"It's better you don't ask." Lauren chuckled. "Main story is that everything's ok." X, or Meghan, snorted from the kitchen where she was drinking a glass of water. "I thought I told you to shut up."

"Since when do I listen to you?" Meghan quirked an eyebrow. "I'm older."

"Four days, Corbett." Lauren frowned. "Why are we friends?"

"Traumatic experience at age eight." Meghan replied, moving to stand next to her, odd looking twins in their green dresses. "And successive traumatic experiences since."

"Who's wedding?" Kaitlynn burst out.

"Miranda's." Lauren replied with a grin. "But that's not important, what is important is getting the Vakor family to leave us alone." She sat on the floor next to Bronwyn and Meghan sat back where she'd been on the couch. "Now," She pulled the tablet from Bronwyn quickly and started to rapidly search through files, "They're planning a strike next year sometime."

"Next year? Why so long?" Laina looked at her niece carefully, still unsure how she was there.

"They're giving themselves time to get their time portals back to working." Meghan muttered, looking at her traveler. "That and they want to cause a lot of pain." She looked to Jen.

"Me?"

"They want to cause us as much pain as possible. What would cause Uncle Wes pain?" Lauren turned and looked at her. Jen felt her heart sink to the floor. He'd not take losing her well, not after losing Courtney and then Chris. Her attention went from herself to him in seconds.

"Is Chris ok?" She inquired, seeing the two girls was one thing, but where was their compatriot?

"He was invited." Lauren snorted. "His excuse was it's his sister's wedding, and he doesn't want to be surrounded by women he's related to, and or will boss him around."

"To be fair that's accurate." Meghan laughed from her seat, legs curled up under her body. "He's got two Aunts, you, Jen, etcetera. Back on topic, it's not of vital importance, but we'll be keeping tabs on the Vakor family in both Bronwyn's time, and everyone should do daily scans of their area."

"Agreed." Kaitlynn picked up her traveler. They continued planning and coordinating, but Rachael sat silently in her seat, watching her daughter speak seriously with Bronwyn and the others about things that directly affected her. If she thought Lauren looked like her now, they could have been twins, except for her chocolate brown eyes she'd gotten from Eric. Before she was entirely sure what was going on, they were all standing and leaving, Meghan and Lauren at the lead. It was the first time in a long time her daughter looked right into her eyes.

"Don't worry about us, we turn out ok." She smiled. "Except for Meghan, but hey no one ends their season batting a thousand."

"Love you too." Meghan rolled her eyes from just outside the doorway, but she was smiling. The two of them teased and picked on the other relentlessly, but there was true love between them. That was the kind of friendship you saw once in a lifetime.

"Things will get weird, but it's nothing you can't handle." Lauren grinned encouragingly. "I'll see you when Dad brings me home." She slipped through the door and the two girls left down the street, just walking away into the night.

"That was weird." Aria breathed. "Really weird, even weird for us weird."

"Get out of my house." Rachael laughed and pushed her friends for the door. Laughing, the women said good night and drove off making their hours or two trips back to where they lived, Jen stayed behind, imaging there was something Rachael would want to say after what had happened with Kaitlynn earlier. "Sleep with him yet?"

Except maybe not that bold. Jen was stunned for a moment, kicking herself back to reality; she should be used to Rachael's bluntness by now. "Why the hell do you want to know whether your brother got laid or not?"

"Because he's my brother and I love him." Rachael quirked an eyebrow. "So did you sleep with him or not? Because I'm not sure he'd go see Arwyn if you hadn't."

"Last night." Jen tried to suppress the smile, but failed miserably.

"Congrats." Rachael laughed. "You two needed that; I can't believe he waited so long."

"I can't talk to you." Jen shook he head and tried to leave, but was stopped at the door with little effort.

"Sorry." Rachael shook her head. "It's a defense mechanism, I get crass. Hell my daughter was just standing in front of me, about ten years older than she should be. She was discussing business with us. Rationally. I'm a little freaked out."

"She's pretty." Jen commented as they sat down. "Looks just like you did, except those eyes."

"I'm glad she got Eric's eyes." Rachael smiled. "I was worried she wouldn't get anything from him except his temper. And that she definitely got."

Jen laughed. "Like you don't have one." Rachael tried to look innocent, but failed, lapsing into laughter with Jen. Trying to lighten the mood they amused one another until Eric came through the door carrying Jake and Lauren dragging her feet. Jen waved good bye quietly, leaving Rachael to get Lauren in her room and in bed, where the girl was out in seconds. She watched Eric get Jake into the toddler bed Lauren had used, and tuck him in for the night before coming out and grabbing onto her.

"What was that all about?" Eric murmured, not letting her answer as he kissed her. He pushed her into their bedroom and onto the bed, all too willing to forgo an answer for this.

"It was so weird." Rachael pushed him off, laughing at his indignant face. "In a minute, I have to tell you this first." She promised, getting him to settle down. "You can't tell anyone, not Wes, especially not Wes." Rachael warned him and he nodded, playful mood gone in the wake of her seriousness. "Lieutenant X is Meghan."

"Meghan Corbett?" Eric's eyes widened as Rachael nodded.

"The other alternate Lieutenant is Lauren." She murmured.

"Our Lauren? Our daughter?"

"She was here." Rachael whispered, leaning back on their pillows. "They were older, in their twenties. They were wearing these green dresses because they were at Miranda's wedding." The reality of what had happened hit her. "They're ok."

"Was Chris there?" Eric asked softly, watching his wife's face while being stunned himself.

"No, they said he didn't want to be in a room full of women he's related to." Rachael chuckled at the thought. "Don't blame him really, there's me, Kaity…"

"Jen." Eric supplied.

"Jen." Rachael agreed. "I just spoke rationally with Lauren about Time Force." She laid back. "This is surreal."

"I know what will help." Eric offered, getting her to look at him. As soon as her face was near his again he kissed her, working to erase every last thought she'd had all day. And it worked as she pressed into him, still able to find that fire after over ten years of marriage. Her body had made quite a few changes over the years, her two pregnancies turning her muscle into a much softer form, but he was still as rock solid as he had been when they met. "I love you." Eric murmured as his hand moved across her stomach.

"God I love you." Rachael giggled and stripped off her shirt and leaned over him.

The Vakor family didn't strike again thanks to a few preemptive strikes organized by the main body of Time Force, mainly Lucas leading a few squads to scoop up their fringe members and discourage their main activities. A big break came in August when they managed to again thwart their abilities to travel through time, setting their plans back significantly. So they went on with their lives. Life in 2013 was good, and Jen was thrilled with the way her life was going. She found herself swept up into a family life, spending more and more time with Wes' kids, but never spent the night at his house. He didn't want his kids seeing that example, and she understood that, so whenever they did spend the night, it took a lot of organizing and he made it to the clock tower whenever he could.

She didn't care. She was in love with Wes, loved all three of his children as if they were her own, and life was good. This year Jen was thrilled to get each of the kids Christmas presents just from her, and set them up under the tree on Christmas Eve, grinning as her eyes caught the figure approaching her from behind.

Wes grabbed onto his girlfriend and kissed her neck, enjoying her giggle. It was a stupid thing to love so much about her, but Jen had developed a habit of giggling in his presence. Actually giggling when he kissed her neck and tickled her. It was amazing to be in love again, like she'd saved him. He never wanted to live without her, and judging by an earlier conversation it all rested on her. Hours earlier he'd asked Chris and Miranda what they thought of Jen coming to live with them and being their step-mom he'd been rewarded with two children shouting 'yes' and wondering if she'd take over cooking. Ashlynn was too little to understand, but she loved Jen the moment she met her. "Hey." He kissed her neck again as she turned, planting another on her mouth.

"Hey." Jen smiled, leaning back and smiling up at him. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Wes returned, kissing her again, braving himself for the most nerve wracking question ever. The first time he hadn't had to ask, but this time. This time was all him. "You like it here?"

"Your house?" Jen raised her eyebrows in surprise. What an odd question to ask. "Of course I do. I love it here. It's so homey. And I just love your kids."

"Good." Wes murmured, slipping his hand to her back as they stood next to the lit up Christmas tree. "They love you too."

"I'm glad." She smiled in the dark room, seeing him only with shades of reds, blues, and greens. She closed her eyes and imagined music was playing as they stood together in the living room, just together at the best time of year. It wasn't celebrated as reverently in her old time. Old time. It was odd she'd begun to think about her old life in her own time as the 'old time'. Before she was safely where she belonged with Wes in 2013.

"Jen?"

"Hmm?" She looked up, too happy to want to move.

"Marry me." Jen stopped her happy swaying as her eyes shot open, looking right into his face. She didn't know what to say, what to do. Marrying Wes was a fantasy she'd toyed with for years, especially as they'd been together for the last sixteen months, but actually hearing those words was surreal. "Jen?" Wes' brows knit uncertainly, waiting for her answer. Oh God, waiting for her answer.

"Yes." She choked the words out. "Yes." She breathed out, regaining her sense of reality. "Oh God yes." She threw her arms around his neck and held onto him as tight as she could, his arms wrapping around her and holding her close.

"I love you." He murmured in her ear. Jen pulled back and kissed him soundly.

"I love you so much." She murmured and kissed him again. Wes grinned and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small piece of jewelry from the pocket of his jeans. Speechless again, he slipped it over her finger and held it up to the dim light of the tree to both look at it. It had a gold band with a single diamond in the center and two smaller light pink ones on either side and sat perfectly on her hand. "It's beautiful." She murmured but looked up at him. "What did you do with Courtney's?"

Wes frowned, he'd asked her to marry him and she was mentioning his first wife? "I put it away for Chris, I'm not going to give you the same ring."

"I know." Jen shrugged. "I was just curious. I don't mind talking about her." She looked at him. "She was your wife, your children's mother, she's got a place in your life forever, I can respect that."

"It's weird." Wes frowned. "I'll always love her, but I need you now. I love you."

"I believe that." Jen smiled and kissed him again. "When do we get to tell them?" Her eyes lit up referring to his children, her soon to be step kids.

"Tomorrow morning." Wes chuckled. "I asked them what they thought, so they'll want to know pretty fast."

"Good." Jen held onto him. "They want a step mom?"

"They want you." Wes murmured, kissing her forehead. "I want you too."

"I want them. I love them, all three of them." She grinned and moved toward the couch, arranging themselves on it together.

"Stay tonight." He whispered the words into her hair as she leaned back and frowned up at him. "Right here, just don't leave."

"Ok." She breathed, relaxing into him, eyes blurring from exhaustion and pure happiness.

Morning brought three faces looking at the pair of them, Chris announcing he knew what the ring on Jen's finger meant. He hugged her quickly, running for his presents to avoid looking less manly than the ten year old could handle. Miranda looked at the ring for what seemed like hours, and Ashlynn was just content to sit in her lap and suck her thumb, kicking her feet out while she watched Chris and her Daddy play with all of his new toys.

As per tradition they made it over to the mansion where Alan and Arianna were creating a Christmas dinner, joined by Eric and Rachael and their kids soon after. It took Rachael seconds to see the ring on Jen's hand, but she didn't freak out as she would have when she was in her twenties, it was odd to see her maturely wrap her arms around Jen's neck and hug her close. "You've made him so happy." She whispered in Jen's ear. "Thank you."

"He makes me happy too." Jen grinned back to her soon-to-be in-laws.

"Hey, two for two." Rachael teased as she grabbed Jen's hand to inspect the ring. "Got to admit, he's got good taste in jewelry."

"I want to see Courtney's." Jen lowered her voice as Rachael's eyes snapped to hers in surprise. "Not to compare or anything, I'm just curious."

"Last I saw, he put their rings in the table by his bed." It took a second to decide to tell Jen this. "He keeps little mementos in there."

"Thanks." Jen grinned and then looked at her own again. "I love it."

"Got a date in mind?" Rachael grabbed a pair of coffee cups where they stood in the kitchen, the children occupying the men and Arianna in the other room.

"Actually, I've been thinking about it since he asked me last night." Blushing, she admitted as Rachael grinned. "Fairly soon, May sounds good."

"Awesome." Rachael did some mental math. "Four or five months to plan a wedding, we can do that. There's an abundance of children this time." She splayed her hands on the counter suddenly, her back straightening as the idea hit her. "Oh my gosh it's perfect."

"What is?" Confused, Jen sat back, out of her friend's way.

"The clock tower." Rachael grinned. "You can get married up there." Jen didn't answer at first. The two of them seemed to be having that effect on her lately, stunning her into silence. "Well that's a yes." The black haired woman tossed her ponytail and adjusted her white sweater. "You need to call Bronwyn and we can get this whole thing set up." She ordered in her 'Captain' voice, grinning widely.

Sadly Bronwyn agreed with Rachael, and the two had a grand time planning the dream clock tower wedding for her and Wes. Which worked out well for the two of them as they didn't have to do anything for it but show up and pick colors every so often. Jen only had a problem when Rachael dragged her to a store to try on wedding dresses for hours, but the feeling of nerves in the pit of her stomach overtook her in one dress, getting a hug from Rachael as they both fought tears.

But nothing made her cry more than when Bronwyn and Lucas brought little Ava to 2014 four days before the wedding. The sisters spent all night talking; all of them staying in the mansion for the night so the clock tower could be transformed into a proper wedding space. Tripp and Katie came the night before, and as with Rachael's wedding, the girls spent hours talking all night, this time talking about their children. Lauren, Miranda and Ashlynn were staying with them at the mansion while Chris, Jake and Eric stayed at Wes' with the guys.

It was the way his wedding was supposed to be, Wes mused a little when he got a spare moment alone. He didn't feel guilty about what happened with Courtney, or that he was moving on with his life, and their wedding had been what it had to be. That was the past, and Jen was his future.

"You ok?" Eric's voice cut into his reverie, making him look up.

"Yeah." Wes nodded, grinning. "I'm marrying Jen tomorrow, how would I not be ok?"

"Is her stuff here?" Eric grinned.

"Moved it in yesterday." That had been a good feeling, putting her things in his bedroom, and going to sleep with her clothes in his closet. But he chose not to tell Eric that. "Just because you got Rachael in your place after three days, doesn't mean the rest of us are that fast."

"She wanted me." Eric defended himself with a grin, crossing his arms. In the thirteen years they'd known each other, they'd become close friends, and family through Rachael, so conversations like this were normal.

"I don't doubt that." Wes rolled his eyes and grabbed the soda he'd been getting and took it into the living room, finding Chris listening wide eyed to stories Lucas was describing about when they'd been rangers. The kid loved everything to do with rangers, and to have the entire Time Force team at his disposal for questioning was a dream come true for him. And he used every second of it, his violet eyes were glued to Lucas as he described, for the third time and with a little more details, how they'd gotten back to 2001 to help Wes, Eric and Rachael.

"But Aunt Rachael's a girl." Chris wrinkled his nose.

"Hey, girls are strong rangers too." Eric corrected his nephew with a grin. "Jen was a ranger too, now she's going to be your Step-Mom."

"That's true." Chris admitted, frowning in thought.

"Bedtime kid." Wes announced, getting a groan from his son who rolled his eyes. "Go, you can stay up late tomorrow night."

"Ok, Dad." Chris stood up and ran from the room and up the stairs.

"That is one awesome kid." Lucas commented with a funny look on his face. "I'd like a boy."

"I feel you." Eric shook his head. "I thank God for Jake a lot." He took a sip from the soda they were drinking. It was an impromptu bachelor party, and since Wes didn't drink, they had soda, something that made them feel like teenagers again. "Try convincing Bronwyn to have another."

"Still fifty-fifty odds." Tripp pointed out from his chair.

"Go for it, I'm one for three." Wes grinned at Lucas who shook his head.

"Wait a few months and we'll know." He admitted, getting chuckles from the others. "Don't tell her I told you, I'll have to sleep at Time Force for a week or so."

"Congrats." Wes raised his soda. "To knocking up your wife."

"You planning on doing that?" Eric asked rolling his eyes at Wes' scowl. "You flat out told me to knock up your sister; I don't want to hear it."

"You didn't." Tripp's eyes were wide from across the room, laughing at the relationship Wes and Eric had forged.

"I had my reasons." Wes defended, not elaborating on the story, letting Eric squirm.

"Rachael was too focused on Wes." He explained with a scowl. "So he suggested having another baby to distract her."

"It worked, Jake exists." Wes grinned, taking total credit for his nephew's birth. "Rachael happily pays more attention to you."

"Thank God." Eric muttered. "And now you're getting married and she won't be over here every day."

"Control your wife." Lucas chuckled, earning a glare from Eric. "Hey, I married Bronwyn; you think I have a shot at telling her what to do ever?"

"We're destined to be whipped." Tripp saluted with his soda.

"Amen." The other guys murmured, chuckling in agreement. They didn't stay up much later, crashing in rooms around Wes' house. He woke in the bed he'd share with Jen that night. Her first night in their house together. The kids would be at Rachael and Eric's for this night and the following five days when they went on their honeymoon to Hawaii.

Chris grumbled through cereal for breakfast, and stomped his way upstairs to put on his suit. But once it was on he started to get excited, barely able to stand still long enough for Wes to tie the little tie around his neck. Watching his son be so excited proved he was making the right decision, and meeting his two daughters outside the clock tower made the day perfect. Miranda and Ashlynn were dressed in identical pink dresses, their blonde curls piled on their heads like Rachael and Lauren's black ones. Jen had been whisked into the tower and up behind a silky curtain just before he'd gotten there, so he wouldn't be able to see her. Sure it was the second marriage for both of them, but they followed traditions for fun this time around.

He stood at the altar Rachael and Bronwyn had created with wood, real flowers, silk curtains and small little silver Christmas baubles. The entire room was covered with white, red, and pink accents. A tribute to their ranger colors no doubt, but he didn't mind. It was how they met; it was part of who they were. The officiate stood next to him as Rachael corralled his children around him, Ashlynn holding onto his leg comfortably, as if that was the normal place to hang out when your Dad was getting married. The guests sat in the white chairs that had been set up, barely fifty of them. Rachael and Eric sat next to Alan and Arianna in the front row, his step brother Robert actually sitting in the row behind them, staring at the back of Rachael's head the entire time. The rest of the rangers sat on Jen's side as her family, only Bronwyn missing as she stood at the back with her sister.

She'd peeked to look at the small crowd through the space in the curtains and backed up to catch her breath. Bronwyn stood with her, wearing a dress in the same pink color as Wes' daughters, brown eyes holding Jen's to calm her. "Breathe."

"I'm trying." Jen tried. "I want to marry him, but it's terrifying. Distract me." She pleaded with her sister.

"I'm pregnant." Bronwyn said the words so swiftly Jen almost laughed at the joke, but stopped when Bronwyn's hand landed on her flat belly.

"Oh wow." Jen breathed, calming into joy for her sister. "Congratulations." She stepped forward and hugged her sister. "It worked."

"Good." Bronwyn laughed but held on. "I'm so glad we're sisters."

"Me too." Jen smiled, it was odd to think about that, but they almost hadn't been. "I'm getting married."

"I am married." They laughed together as Bronwyn straightened and arranged Jen's hair back to perfection. Her dress was simple white and had a lace jacket over her shoulders, making it a little more modest for her age. She wore no veil and had a small bouquet of flowers in her hands and took a deep breath, circling her arm though Bronwyn's as the music cued them. They came out together, as each other's real family, and walked toward Wes, his eyes glued to Jen's face.

She was dressed to the nines, way more girly than he'd ever seen her before in however long they'd known each other. Bronwyn sat next to Lucas and he took Jen's hand, bringing her to stand next to him. The officiate welcomed the crowd and said a few words before allowing Wes to say the words that he'd memorized for this day.

"Because of you, I can smile and laugh again. I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life has in store for us, and I vow to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live." He murmured the heartfelt words softly, holding her hands in his tightly. Jen repeated the words with the same reverence as he said them, adding a small twist to hers.

"Because of you, I can smile and laugh again. I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, and being there for you in all life has in store for us and your children. I vow to be true and faithful to you for as long as we both shall live."

Ashlynn transferred herself to Jen's leg halfway through the ceremony when Wes and Jen were exchanging rings and words of love to one another. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Jen knelt over and presented small delicate necklaces to Ashlynn and Miranda, and a heavier chain with dog tag like pendant for the ten year old boy. The three children watched as their father kissed Jen and the officiate pronounced them husband and wife, and then a family.

Wes barely paid any attention to the reception, too enamored with his bride to pay too much attention to the family hugging and congratulating him. Ashlynn was content to sit in Jen's lap for the duration of the dinner, the three year old falling asleep before dessert. But Jen loved every second of it, even giving her up to Wes so she could dance on the small floor with Chris at least once before he went off to hang out with Lauren, his best friend. Rachael took over care of Ashlynn so the newlyweds could dance a little themselves and then escape back to Wes' house.

"I love you." Wes murmured, pressing her against the wall at the base of the stairs. The light was waning, into a deep golden pink sunset, shedding a little light on her as he kissed her.

"I love you so much." Jen breathed as he untied her lace jacket to access her throat. They barely made it upstairs to his bed, their bed now. He tried to push her onto it but she stopped him and turned so he could unzip the back of her dress, pulling it off and laying it on a chair in the corner, turning to him in the most scandalous underwear he'd ever seen. It was white and pink, and barely covered any part of her thin frame. And didn't cover any part of her when he tackled her onto the bed and removed it, shedding his own clothes in seconds.

Divested of any barriers, they spent a sensual night in each other's arms, spending more time kissing and loving than breathing. The pair didn't surface until late the next afternoon when they went to Rachael and Eric's for dinner and to see the kids for a little while before they took their flight to Hawaii. They had a wonderful time on their little honeymoon, but found they missed the children more than expected. Returning home was the best feeling to see all three run from the house and, except Ashlynn, leap into their father's arms. Ashlynn made a beeline for Jen, stretching her arms up with a loud cry of happiness. She wrapped her arms around Jen's neck and rested her head on her shoulder.

"I missed you." The three year old murmured, her thumb making its way into her mouth.

"I missed you too." Jen grinned at her new daughter and bent down to welcome a hug from the other. Chris looked at her a little warily, but was grinning. And as the months passed he got used to her. They got used to each other living together in the house, and made it through their first sets of holidays as a family well. Being in love was amazing, and living with Wes, and being married to him was a dream come true. A strange dream if she was to compare it to how she felt about him back in 2001, especially before she broke up with Alex. It had been an interesting ride since they'd been rangers, ending with them married.


	30. Chapter 30

Married for God's sake. She was the stepmother to his three children and loved every second of it. Especially when Ashlynn went to kindergarten and, from nowhere, started calling her 'Mom'. The older two didn't correct her, but at 12 and 13 still called her Jen, which she didn't mind so much. Before she knew it, it was the summer before Chris was supposed to go to high school, and he had an interesting request.

"Dad." The pubescent thirteen year old sat with his father and stepmother at the kitchen table after requesting this informal meeting. "I want to go to Brighton."

"You want to go to prep school." Wes stared at his son in complete disbelief.

"Yes." Chris nodded seriously. "Technically it isn't a prep school anymore, just a private school."

"You know how I feel about that place." Wes frowned. He knew what problems he'd gotten into as a teenager, and the last thing he wanted was to put his son in that position.

"Why do you want to go there?" Jen put in, trying to calm Wes with a hand on his thigh.

"They have a good hockey program." Chris grinned. "And some of the best academic scores in the country."

"Hockey." Wes rolled his eyes at his son's obsession with the sport. "You'd have to live on campus."

"I know, but it's only like a half hour away." Chris defended. "And for the tuition Grand-Mère said she'd pay." Wes frowned immediately when his son mentioned Arwyn. Their relationship had always been strained, and probably always would be, and this didn't help much.

"What exactly did she say?"

"She said she'd pay, but I need permission from you to go." Chris admitted. "Please Dad, Lauren's asking Uncle Eric and Aunt Rachael; Grandpa said he'd pay for her. So I wouldn't even be alone. Jen, do you think it would be bad?"

"I'm not saying anything." Jen grinned when he frowned at her. "Your Dad and I need to talk about this first. Why don't you go upstairs so we can talk?" Chris nodded and left, stomping his way up the stairs. "Do you want to call Rachael?" She eyed her husband as he looked guiltily at her.

"Nah, she'll call first." He chuckled as the phone rang. "Hey. Your kid wants to go to Brighton too? Yeah, come on over."

"I think you should let him go." Jen shrugged, standing to face Wes.

"Really?" He frowned. "If he goes, he goes all four years."

"Do you really think public school would be any safer?" She scoffed. "I've read those articles about bullying. Look up Brighton's stats online, private schools tend to be better or worse."

"Thank you." Wes leaned in and kissed her gently.

"What for?" Mystified, Jen looked at him oddly.

"For keeping me sane." He took her hand and they went for the computer in the other room, using a search engine to look up the nearby school. Rachael and Eric hovered over his left shoulder when they arrived, both their kids upstairs with their cousins. "It doesn't look bad." Wes admitted after a while. "They overhauled it since we were there."

"I'm still not sure." Rachael bit her lip and crossed her arms. "Is there a way to visit? Take a tour of the place, meet some teachers?" Her pocket rang, sending her eyes skyward as she pulled her traveler out of her pocket. "Well there's the answer." She sighed.

"What?" Jen took the traveler, now well versed in how they worked.

"Bronwyn." Rachael looked up at Jen, lying for the sake of their husbands. "They went to Brighton."

"That's cheating." Eric frowned, trying to look at it, scowling at his wife when she pulled it out of his view. "Who really sent that?"

"If you must know, X did." Rachael scowled back at him with the same expression but sighed. "I think if Dad's going to pay, we don't have a reason to say no."

"Arwyn said she'd pay for Chris." Wes murmured, uneasy about accepting monetary help from his former mother-in-law. "What about the other two?" He shook his head. "If Chris goes, I'll want Miranda there too."

"Jake too." Eric moved his hand to the small of Rachael's back. "When Ashlynn's there."

"It is not too far away, and the grades look good." Jen commented, turning to the computer to look up the data. "I don't think it'll be such a bad thing. Also gets them out of the house."

"And they've got a kickass hockey program." Rachael added, grinning at the frowns she got for swearing. "Oh come on they're not around."

"I'm glad you haven't changed." Eric laughed and pulled his wife into his arms, kissing the top of her head as she grinned and wrapped her arm around him. It was odd to think that just a few years ago Jen had been incredibly jealous of the relationship Eric and Rachael had developed, but now had it herself, as Wes snaked his arm around her waist and sat her in his lap.

"At least you like her." Wes chuckled, leaning on Jen's side. "Guess we should tell them the decision."

"I suppose." Rachael murmured, releasing Eric as he moved away and yelled for the two thirteen year olds who came down and stood in front of their parents.

"Ok you two." Wes started. "We've all talked about it. But I really want to know why you picked Brighton, Angel Grove has a hockey team too."

They looked at each other and Lauren took a deep breath to speak. "We figured you'd go along with it better if it was a really good school, and it's not as far as Angel Grove."

"And we knew we could get Grand-Mère and Grandpa to pay for the tuition." Chris added quickly, looking from Lauren to his father and Jen.

"If you're sure." Wes sighed. The pair of their eyes widened with hope and excitement.

"Deal is," Rachael started, "You go there one year, and you're going there all four, even if you hate it." She warned her daughter who flung her arms around her waist.

"Thank you!" She jumped up and down before detaching herself from her mother and grasping onto her father. Chris rolled his eyes at her and stepped forward slowly and hugged Jen lightly when she stood, Wes just after. They broke off from their parents and high fived as they ran back upstairs, probably going back to whatever they'd been doing on Chris' computer.

"Brighton lets girls on their hockey team." Eric grinned. "That's my daughter."

"That she is." Rachael rolled her eyes and hugged him. "She's growing up; I'm not ready for this."

"There's always the younger kids." Wes grinned, grabbing Jen's hand gently. "The hope for more."

"God no." Rachael laughed. "We have a boy, and a girl, I'm happy with our stereotypical nuclear family."

"What about the four others I wanted?" Eric frowned, laughing when his wife's face went horrorstruck and hit his chest as he laughed at her. "I'm kidding; I figured we were done anyway." Rachael didn't smile when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead, preferring to scowl at her husband instead.

Dropping their daughter off at Brighton Academy was one of the most heart wrenching things they could have done as parents. It was as if taking her to college had occurred four years too early, if college was only thirty minutes away and she was going with Chris. So it wasn't so bad. At least that night when they made it back to their little house, Jake locked himself in his room with his video games, giving his parents a chance to speak with each other.

"I'm having horrible déjà vu." Rachael murmured with her eyes closed as Eric handed her a beer.

"I know." Eric muttered, trying to eradicate his current feelings of doom he'd been feeling since getting home. The last time they'd lived with just Jake was when Lauren was on Karsis for those few horrible months, the months he'd almost lost his family completely. Had he and Rachael divorced Jake, and eventually Lauren, would have been torn between them. "Rachael." He grabbed her suddenly, the thoughts in his head too terrifying to dwell on. She welcomed his embrace, feeling very similarly.

"I never want to lose you." She murmured her face in his chest.

"Never." Eric agreed, kissing the top of her head until she lifted her head so he could kiss her properly. An idea had him scooping her up and placing her on the counter to her laughter. "Remember when I first did this?" He grinned, kissing her.

"I remember." Rachael laughed. "We also didn't have an eight year old in the house."

"He wouldn't notice if the roof caved in." It was very annoying for his son to not care about anything but video games, and he and Rachael did their best to drag him away from them, but with little success. "I'm entirely sure we could get away with it." He murmured, smiling when Rachael laughed under him.

"Even so, I'd rather go to our bedroom." She dragged his lips to hers. "We're not that young you know."

"I can deal with that." She suppressed a shriek as he swept her up and took her into their room, locking the door behind them.

Lauren being at Brighton wasn't as bad as they'd thought at first, especially when they learned that, somehow, her roommate was Meghan Corbett. That lead to an entirely interesting conversation with Leo about how his daughter and her twin brother had run away from their home to attend the school. Rachael had just shaken her head at the news; it was only a matter of time before that was going to happen. She and Eric just kept themselves busy with their jobs and their son, two months without their daughter around full time flying by with weekend visits and phone calls.

"Rachael." Eric caught her from behind, putting his nose instantly in her hair to breathe in the scent of her shampoo. "We have the house to ourselves tonight." He murmured seductively, frowning when she turned to him. She was pale, very pale, with dark circles under her eyes. "Or not, are you ok?"

"Period." She frowned and winced a little. "I feel horrible."

"Go lay on the couch, there's a Bruins game on." Eric squeezed her shoulder and pushed her for the living room. They curled up together on the couch and watched the game quietly, Rachael much less vocal about the players messing up as she constantly shifted, trying to get comfortable. "Do you want to get some dinner?" Eric asked softly, holding her closely, trying to rub her back.

"No." Rachael shook her head. "I need to stretch though." She stood and walked to the kitchen, Eric staying on the couch, but still concerned. Rachael moved through the kitchen, rubbing her slim belly as she went. The stupid ibuprofen she'd taken hours ago never even kicked in. Great. Annoyed at pretty much everything, she tried to drink a sip of water, but instantly spat it out as her throat rejected it. Breathing slowly over the sink, her mind racing back to the last time she'd had all these symptoms before. She'd been pregnant with Lauren, and her water had broken soon after, and she'd given birth in minutes later.

_Don't be stupid._ She mentally chided herself and placed her hand on her stomach. She wasn't pregnant, and if by some chance she was, there was no way she was going to have one today. It was at that thought the unmistakable feeling of water rushing from her body, soaking her pants. Oh God. No. "Eric!" She screamed his name, falling back into the counters and began to take her pants off.

The last thing he expected to see when he got into the kitchen was his wife taking her pants off. "Rachael?" He was at her side instantly, entirely confused as to her terror and how she was taking off her pants.

"Eric." She moaned his name in a wave of pain. It was familiar now, and clearly what she thought it had been. "I think I'm in labor."

"Labor?" The world swam around him. "You're not pregnant."

"That's what I thought!" Rachael moaned and sank completely onto the floor, head tipping back in pain. "Oh God please." She groaned and he took off the rest of her pants and underwear, the Silver Guardian training finally kicking in.

"Oh God." Eric's voice was faint when he saw Rachael was right. The head was already coming out, and they had maybe seconds before the baby entered the world. He grabbed the cell phone from his pocket and dialed 911, putting the phone up to his ear as he went back to his wife. She was still moaning in pain as he told the 911 operator to send an ambulance to their house because his wife was in labor and hung up, not letting her return a single word. The second call was to Wes, and was very short as he relayed the same message in fewer words, again hanging up. "Ok baby, time to push." He said softly to Rachael who met his eyes in one last terrifying moment. She obeyed, bearing down like she'd done twice before. It felt like an eternity, but was only minutes before a tiny baby slid free and into its father's arms.

"Is it ok?" Rachael gasped as soon as she felt the pain subside. She was answered by a scream of protest and Eric laid the baby on Rachael's chest as she sat up moving her arms to cradle her child. "It's a girl." She murmured absently as the baby quieted, calmed by hearing her mother's heart beat. It was still for only a moment until the familiar screams of sirens pulled in front of their house. Rachael looked directly at her husband, a grin sliding onto her face. "Four more you said."

"Funny." Eric scowled, too terrified for the baby's health to be joking. The ambulance whisked Rachael and the baby to Silver Hills General Hospital while Eric followed closely behind, Wes tasked with driving to Brighton and bringing Lauren over.

The fourteen year old was stunned to walk into her mother's hospital room and see her holding a baby. Rachael smiled and beckoned the teenager in, showing her the baby. "Say hi to your sister."

"You were pregnant?" Lauren whispered and looked at her baby sister. "Why didn't you tell me?" The hurt was clear in her voice.

"Lauren baby, I didn't know." Rachael sighed and touched her daughter's long black hair that looked just like her own. "Believe me, I would have told you; despite how badly you reacted to finding out about Jake."

"Was I bad?" Lauren grinned at her mother wickedly, a look Rachael knew all too well as she'd used it herself frequently.

"You were terrified I was going to leave you because of what happened to your Aunt Courtney." Rachael chose to ignore the misbehaving and stroke her daughter's hair.

"Well I left you." Lauren murmured softly, touching her baby sister's face. Rachael leaned forward and wrapped her free arm around her fourteen year olds neck.

"You're still my baby." Rachael whispered, fighting tears. "You're my girl."

"Now there are two." Lauren smiled, eyes glistening. "What are you going to name her?"

"You name her." Rachael grinned at her daughter. "Pick a good one."

"Abigail." Lauren said immediately. "I always wanted a baby sister named Abby."

"Abigail Myers." Rachael laughed, moving her legs so Lauren could sit on the bed. "I like it."

"What do you like?" Eric came in with their son, Jake running for the bed, leaping up to sit between Lauren and their mother.

"She's little." He commented with a frown.

"You used to be that little." Lauren told her little brother. "Then you got big and annoying." She hugged him, making their parents laugh as the eight year old squirmed from her grasp. "Mom let me name her." She said proudly, looking up at her father as his eyebrows shot up.

"What'd you pick?" Eric asked, still stunned he had a second daughter, a third child overall.

"Abigail." Lauren grinned. "Abby."

"Pretty." Eric commented, leaning on the bed that held his family. They were his family, all four of them, his beautiful wife, strong pretty daughter, his wonderful son, and his tiny baby girl. Abigail was only five pounds four ounces, but the doctor said she was nearly full term at thirty-seven weeks, and very healthy. He'd come a very long way in the last sixteen years, and he wouldn't trade any of it for anything.

Wes sighed and closed the door to the front door to his home, grabbing his wife and pulling her into his arms, kissing her temple. Jen grinned and hugged him back, resting against his chest for a moment before looking up at him. "Is she ok?"

"They're both fine." Wes murmured. "Eric and Rachael have another little girl."

"Wow." Jen smiled. "I can't believe she didn't know she was pregnant." She shook her head as Wes pulled away from her, a grin on his face.

"She didn't know she was pregnant with Lauren until she was halfway through it. Jake was only slightly better, she was in her second trimester I think." He shook his head and started for the kitchen.

"How'd she find out with Lauren?" Jen followed him, crossing her arms against the slight chill of early November.

"Eric and I were putting up Chris' crib." Wes explained, getting himself a glass of water. "I guess Rachael was telling Courtney she wasn't feeling well, and they figured out she was pregnant, left the house that night get the test." He smiled at the memory. "Rachael stood in our kitchen, stared at Eric and told him she was pregnant."

Jen laughed with the story, but it wasn't the part she was thrilled about. Wes was finally telling her about his life with Courtney, sure it was a weird thing to want, but she did. Before he refused to even mention Courtney, but three years into their marriage he was starting to relax, acknowledge Courtney existed once and a while. "I can't imagine the feeling." She said softly, getting an odd look from Wes.

"Do you want to have one?" He put down the glass and moved close to her. "It's not too late you know." Wes grinned and Jen shook her head.

"I don't know, your kids are everything to me, I don't need my own."

"But you want one." Wes guessed, her non-answer making him grin. "It's ok to say it; I'll easily give you whatever you want."

"Really?" Hopeful, Jen looked up at him.

"Really." Wes agreed with a chuckle. "Thought I've never had to try before, Courtney just got pregnant."

"All three times?" Jen's eyebrows rose. "Then I think this won't be too hard." She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "I love you."

"I love you too." Wes caught her lips with his, holding her close as he kissed her.

"Eww, gross." Nine year old Ashlynn came into the kitchen, passing her parents and grabbing a glass of juice and grinning at them. "Gee Dad; I think you've kissed her enough."

"I disagree." Wes grinned at his daughter and kissed Jen again, the pair of them breaking apart as Ashlynn made more noises of disgust.

"Hey Mom." She said as Jen pulled herself from Wes. "Can you help me with my homework?"

"Sure." Jen followed Ashlynn to the living room where Ashlynn had her homework laid out. Ashlynn knew Jen was her step-mother, but Jen was the only mother she knew and it gave Jen the best feeling to hear the girl call her 'Mom'. Wes watched them go, grinning at the thought of Jen being the mother to his children. His family had come together in an interesting manner, filled with heartbreak, but it was all worth it, and he loved them all more than anything.

**Epilogue**

"Remind me why I thought this was a good idea." Jen requested as she moaned in pain. Wes chuckled next to her, stroking her hair. "Stop laughing at me."

"I'm not laughing at you." He said patiently. Wes of all people knew to be patient and loving at this part of labor. Courtney had wanted to rip is head off for Chris and Miranda, so now with Jen lying flat on her back in the hospital bed, making her mad was the last thing on his mind. "You just have to hold on; the doctor said you can push soon." He encouraged her.

"I feel worse than when Steelix fried me." Jen's voice was angry as she bit down through a hard contraction.

"I've heard." Wes stroked her hair, hoping the action would help her. "You're doing great."

"I hate you a little right now, you know."

"Too bad I still love you." Wes had that response saved for when she said it, and felt quite successful when Jen snorted at him.

"Were you this mean to Courtney?" Jen snapped at him.

"Meaner." Wes grinned. "It's why we had another one just a year later."

"We are not." Jen breathed in sharply as another contraction hit just seconds later. "I don't know if I'll survive this one."

"You'll be fine." Wes risked his life to kiss her forehead. "Then we'll have our baby."

"I want a boy." Jen opened her eyes a little. "Give Chris that brother he wants." She smiled a little before closing her eyes again, shifting her body in the bed. "Get the doctor please, I want to push." Not needing to be asked twice, Wes found her doctor and brought him in, the kind old man agreeing with Jen.

"Alright, just as we practiced ok?" The doctor positioned himself at the end of the bed. "Alright, push with your contractions, ready?"

"Now." Jen muttered and pushed as hard as she could, feeling helpless as nothing seemed to move.

"Good, keep going." The doctor sounded pleased, so Jen kept pushing at the intervals her contractions came, encouraged when things started to move. "One more good push, Jen." The doctor requested and she obeyed, pushing as hard as she could, relief coming in a wave, leaning back in exhaustion. "Congratulations." The doctor announced and laid the screaming baby on Jen's chest. "It's a boy."

"Oh my God." Jen breathed, touching her son's face gently. "He's beautiful." Wes grinned at her reaction to their baby, to be fair the kid was as ugly as most newborns, but the fact it was your own child gave you a bias that your baby was always adorable. The nurses took him for a few moments, cleaning him up and returning him to his mother wrapped in a soft blanket.

"He's precious." Wes murmured, hovering close to his wife and child.

"Go get the kids." Jen breathed. "They need to meet their little brother."

"Ok." Wes kissed her head briefly before going to the waiting room where his three children were together, looking tired. "Wake up." He announced, and they moved, Chris stood next to him, trying to support Ashlynn as she was trying hard to stay awake. At sixteen, Chris was starting to challenge Wes in height, and after his voice dropped, it was a little sad to know his son was getting older.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Miranda rubbed her eyes, running her hand through her long blonde hair.

"Boy, you have a brother." Wes told his kids, getting a squeal and excited hug from Miranda.

"Congratulations Dad." She grinned. "Can we see Jen?"

"This way." Wes beckoned them with him, taking them to Jen's room, the two girls immediately running over to see their new brother, Chris walking with his father, a little more wary of the baby than his sisters. As Wes watched this daughters coo excitedly over the infant and Chris lean over the bed he had a strange feeling of completion settled in his chest. This was his family, his wife, the three children from his first marriage that she loved so much, and their own little boy together.

"He needs a name." Jen looked up at him, interrupting his thoughts.

"I thought we agreed on a name." Wes moved closer to her.

"But we didn't tell them." Jen grinned mischievously.

"Lauren got to name Abby." Miranda pouted, referring to the now almost two year old surprise baby.

"How about you three agree on a middle name." Wes reasoned, getting a nod from Jen in agreement. "But we decided to name him Noah."

"Noah." Jen murmured, cradling her son close. Her first child. Of course she loved Wes' three kids more than anything, but this baby was hers, her flesh and blood. He yawned in her arms.

"Can I hold him Mom?" Ashlynn asked, inching closer as she said it. Jen smiled.

"Hold out your arms." She requested and Ashlynn happily did so, carefully holding her minutes old brother, a grin spreading on her face.

"He's so little."

"I remember when you were that little." Chris put in, getting a scowl from the ten year old.

"I was not."

"Were too." Miranda put in. "Tiny little baby you were, littler than him I think, right Dad?"

"True." Wes laughed and kissed Ashlynn's forehead. "Don't worry, those two were little too." Ashlynn grinned at her brother and sister before passing the baby to Miranda, who welcomed her baby brother with a grin. Noah stretched and yawned, opening up his eyes to get a good look at the world around him.

"Aw, little brown eyes." Miranda giggled. "I love it."

"Lucky kid." Chris muttered, crossing his arms.

"Oh shush." Miranda shot her brother a look. "All the girls at school love your sexy violet eyes."

"They're stupid." Chris defended, frowning at his sister, who was thrilled to be tormenting him.

"Right because the only girl you like doesn't like you back." She grinned the evil little sister grin, the one where she knew exactly what was going on in every crevice of her older brother's life. Chris refused to speak after that, rolling his eyes and reaching for his baby brother. He held the baby very well for a teenage boy, having practice with his sisters and cousins.

"I'm teaching you how to play hockey kid." Chris grinned at the baby then looked at Jen. "He can start at two right?"

"We'll see." Jen laughed, leaning back in the bed, motioning for Chris to hand his brother to his father, which he did, Wes accepting the baby with a smile.

"You better not have one for about ten years." Wes warned his son who smiled, rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Don't worry."

"Yeah I wouldn't worry about him." Miranda agreed with a grin, holding onto Ashlynn as the younger girl fought to stay awake. "She'll never give in to you."

"That's what you think." Chris grinned at his sister and looked at his father. "Don't worry about me, worry about the pretty blonde girl with pretty purple eyes."

"Ok you two." Jen laughed from her bed. "Break it up, go get some breakfast and get your little sister to bed." She leaned forward enough to reach Ashlynn who hugged her, then Miranda, and Chris grinned, ignored his teenage pride for a moment and hugged Jen before taking his sisters back to the house with his new license. "I love those three." She sighed and leaned back, looking at her husband and child. "What?" She stifled a yawn as he grinned at her.

"You're beautiful."

"I look awful." Jen laughed. "Just spent fifteen hours giving birth to your son." Wes came close and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"And you've never been more stunning." He murmured. "I love you."

"I love you too." Jen smiled, putting her hand behind his ear and holding him close to her. "And I love him." She touched the baby with her other hand, feeling so complete with him. Wes transferred little Noah back to his mother as the nurses came back in to teach Jen how to nurse her baby properly. Seeing an opportunity, Wes grinned at his watch and grabbed his cell phone.

"I'll be right back." He kissed Jen's forehead.

"Where are you going?" She asked curiously, ignoring the nurse for a moment.

"Call Eric." Wes shrugged with a mischievous grin.

"Why?" Jen quirked her eyebrow.

"We have a crib to set up."

**The End**

**For Now**

***Coming Soon: The Lieutenant Saga Part Two: Lost Galaxy***

I've enjoyed this so much, and the next five parts are all in progress. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did and read the next parts when they are posted.


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